If you’re thinking about renovating your home to make it warmer and reduce your energy bills, snap up a free place on our new series of online courses.
We’ll take you through all the main things to consider – from planning your retrofit through to insulation, airtightness and ventilation. There are even sessions all about windows and doors.
You can book onto one course or the whole series – whatever you need. We’re able to offer the courses free of charge thanks to funding from the Energy Industry Voluntary Redress Scheme.
Introduction
We kick off with unit 1 on 21 February, giving you a good introduction to doing a renovation and some general principles to think about. We’ll take you through the need to consider the building as a whole, how buildings lose and gain heat, and the basics of airtightness, insulation and managing moisture. It’s a great overview to get you off on the right track. (We’re also repeating this unit on 14 March.)
Airtightness
Unit 2 looks in more depth at airtightness, on 3 March. We all know that draughty homes are hard to heat, and this session looks at what airtightness is and what factors influence it. You’ll learn about steps to improve airtightness and the kinds of materials and techniques you might use.
Insulation
Unit 3 on 10 March delves into insulation. You’ll learn about insulating walls, roofs, floors, windows and doors, looking at different ways of going about it and the wide range of materials to choose from. We’ll also cover building regulations for insulation.
Ventilation
Unit 4 on 16 March covers the all-important topic of ventilation. You don’t want uncontrolled draughts in your house, but you do need to get the air flow right so you don’t end up with damp. Ventilation also plays a big part in having good air quality in your home.
Windows & doors
The series rounds off with two units dedicated to windows and doors. The first one, on 24 March, will help you to choose the right ones for your property, comparing different types and how well they keep your heat in. The final unit, on 28 March, looks at how to install windows and doors, considering airtightness, positioning and detailing around them.
Throughout the series, you’ll hear from experts with hands-on experience and technical knowledge, and we’re particularly pleased to be running them in partnership with URBED and the Carbon Coop. All the courses are online, via Zoom.
So, go ahead and get booked on, and please do also tell anyone you know who might be interested. We hugely appreciate your help to spread the word. Here are the direct links to each unit, where you can find out more about them and book on: