Retrofit: Heritage and Historic Buildings

This blog offers a comprehensive guide to the challenges and opportunities in retrofit for historic buildings, helping you to preserve the charm of your heritage property while making it comfortable and energy-saving.

In this blog, you’ll learn: 

• The intricacies of historic building retrofits
• How to balance modern efficiency with historic preservation
• The benefits of retrofitting your historic building
• The key role of a historic retrofit assessment

Heritage and Historic Building Retrofit

Retrofit can help heritage and historic buildings to remain viable for generations to come, with modern technologies offering ways to improve energy efficiency in older and traditional buildings without compromising their architectural heritage.

The Importance of Historic Building Retrofits

The UK boats a rich architectural heritage, with over 5.9 million buildings constructed before 1919. Additionally, listed buildings (and those in conservation areas) make up over 10% of the national building stock. As the UK strives to achieve net zero by 2050, a significant number of these historic buildings will require retrofitting – an estimated 19 million homes in total.

Retrofitting historic buildings presents a unique challenge. This is due the scale of the challenge, with historic buildings represent a substantial chunk of the retrofitting task, as well as the need to balance priorities. Retrofitting these buildings requires careful consideration – improving energy efficiency can’t come at the cost of damaging their historic character or using unsuitable materials.

The good news? This challenge provides opportunities for innovation. New technologies and approaches are emerging specifically for retrofitting historic buildings, allowing for energy efficiency improvements without compromising heritage. Additionally, the long-term benefits cannot be understated – a successful historic building retrofit not only reduces energy consumption and saves money, but also ensures these structures remain comfortable and functional for future generations.

Balancing Efficiency with Preservation

Retrofitting a historic building requires a delicate balance between the need for modern improvements and the responsibility to preserve the building’s architecture. Here’s a closer look at the key challenges and innovative solutions available:

Challenges in Historic Retrofit

• Historic Material Sensitivity: Traditional materials like lime plaster and clay bricks require specific retrofit strategies to avoid damaging their integrity.
• Preserving character: New systems and upgrades shouldn’t detract from the building’s historic features.
• Envelope Integrity: Maintaining the building envelope’s breathability is crucial for moisture management and preserving historic materials. This can limit insulation options.
• Limited Intervention Points: Introducing new insulation within existing wall cavities or modifying traditional windows requires careful planning for a balance between efficiency and minimal disruption.

Opportunities in Historic Retrofit

• Advanced Insulation Techniques: Slimline internal or external insulation systems can significantly enhance thermal performance while respecting existing fabric.
• Secondary Glazing: Adding a secondary glazing layer can improve insulation and reduce heat loss without altering the original windows.
• Low-Energy HVAC Systems: Modern, high-efficiency heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems can significantly reduce energy consumption while optimising comfort. 
• Renewable Energy Integration: Consider heat pumps that can leverage solar panels to reduce reliance on the grid for heating and hot water.
• Building Energy Modelling: Utilise building energy software to simulate various retrofit scenarios for informed decision-making – allowing you to choose the most effective and least disruptive approach.

Increased Air Tightness for Historic Buildings

While increasing air tightness can significantly enhance the benefits of low-energy HVAC systems, it’s crucial to maintain the breathability of historic materials. Here’s how to achieve this balance:

• Prioritise air sealing: Address air leaks around windows, doors, and pipes/wire penetrations. Targeted air sealing methods, like low-profile spray foam insulation, can be used in certain areas for effective sealing. Air leakage testing helps pinpoint areas for improvement.
• Maintain breathability: Considering the building envelope’s breathability is especially important for historic materials. Consulting with specialists will ensure proper moisture management.
• Ventilation is key: Proper ventilation is essential in tighter structures. Ensure optimal performance by working with a professional to integrate a ventilation system that meets code requirements and preserves the building’s character. Ventilation testing can verify airflow and identify any issues after installation. 

By carefully considering these aspects, increased air tightness can become a valuable tool for improving energy efficiency in historic buildings while preserving their heritage.

Benefits of Retrofit: A Compelling Return on Investment

So why consider a historic building retrofit?  They offer a compelling return on investment, translating into tangible benefits for owners and occupants:

• Reduced Energy Consumption: Studies show retrofits can decrease energy use by up to 70%, leading to significant cost savings on energy bills.
• Improved Thermal Comfort: Modern upgrades ensure consistent, comfortable indoor temperatures year-round.
• Increased property value: A well-maintained and energy-efficient historic building often commands a higher market value.
• Enhanced Building Sustainability: Retrofits contribute to reducing a building’s carbon footprint, aligning with environmental goals and contributing to sustainable living.

What’s Next?

Navigating a historic building retrofit requires a nuanced approach. Our team of qualified retrofit assessors hold the ABBE Accredited Level 3 Award in Energy Efficiency for Older and Traditional Buildings. This ensures they possess the technical expertise and understanding to thoroughly assess your building’s unique needs. A historic retrofit assessment is the foundation for developing a retrofit plan that maximises energy efficiency while respecting your building’s heritage.

Here’s How We Can Help:

• Historic Retrofit Assessment: Our qualified assessors will meticulously evaluate your building to understand its specific needs and opportunities for improvement.

• Ensuring a Healthy & Efficient Building Envelope: We also offer ventilation and air tightness testing to identify areas for improvement:
  • Ventilation Testing: Our comprehensive ventilation testing identifies areas with inadequate airflow. This allows for improvements to enable breathability, as well as building code compliance. 
  • Air Tightness Testing: Our air tightness testing pinpoints air leaks throughout the building envelope, allowing for targeted sealing measures. 

Let our team of specialists guide you through the process. We can help you take the first step in unlocking the full potential of your historic building, creating a space that’s both energy-efficient and respectful of its heritage. Contact us today to discuss the specific needs of your historic property and ensure a healthy, energy-efficient building envelope.

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Do You Live in Bristol, Bath & North East Somerset or South Gloucestershire? You can save 70% on a home energy assessment!

We’ve teamed up with Retrofit West and the West of England Combined Authority to offer 70% off home assessments (subsidy up to £500), allowing you to have a home energy assessment from as little as £75 (+VAT). The voucher applies to our air tightness test, advanced air tightness test (with a full house ventilation survey) and thermographic survey. Follow the link here to learn more.