Deep Green Retrofit: 17th Century Suffolk Timber Framed House

Sat 1 Oct 2022, 10:30am – 12:30pm

11 of us enjoyed a lively, inspiring tour of Ralph’s retrofit, full of useful information. Useful Links:

Video of Ralph’s 19 Sept online Tour, with sections marked in the timeline
Slides 1 and Slides 2, from that online tour, with links
Case Study of the retrofit, with links to materials that Ralph used
The LETI Retrofit Guide that Ralph co-authored and mentioned in his tours
Retrofit Targets from the LETI guide, p71-73. How does your retrofit measure-up?

Meet your hosts, Ralph and Jenny

In 1984 Ralph and Jenny bought their 1600 timber-frame house in the beautiful Suffolk village of Hartest, very quickly getting to work pulling off the Victorian brick cladding, and building a modern extension for cooking and washing. In 1999 they expanded further, building a hempcrete extension, becoming early UK pioneers of this technique. For Ralph, an architect, co-authoring the LETI Climate Emergency Retrofit Guide prodded him to consider what else he could do. So he began planning a deep green retrofit of the main 17th century home, with improved insulation, flooring and glazing throughout. The retrofit will be completed in 2022.

Ralph says: “It’s important to have a home which is healthy and beautiful, and feels fresh, yet has stable temperatures and remains well connected to the outside. The renovations have resulted in a massive boost to our mental well being! We now enjoy far higher levels of comfort and lower running costs.”

Key Features of this home

Retrofit of walls with partial replacement of old insulation and 150mm additional insulation
Retrofit of roof with additional insulation of 80mm wood fibre board
Plinths insulated with 120mm Foamglas & finished with lime render
New triple glazed windows and doors throughout
LED lights and low energy appliances
Solar PV and home made solar water heater for one cylinder
Rainwater harvesting supplying 3 wcs and washing machine plus some garden irrigation
Extensive use of materials with low embodied emissions, e.g. sheeps wool, wood fibre board, lime render; re-used pantiles, zinc roof
1 acre garden with large fruit and vegetable growing areas allowing partial self sufficiency, together with chickens & home butchered local venison

Ralph’s top tips for being more energy efficient at home

Insulate before all else, then insulate to achieve min U-value 0.18 for walls and roofs (and floors if possible), and finally, consider a heat pump
Controlled ventilation (e.g. MVHR) may be needed, so have that up your sleeve if required

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