Consultation on Ventilation in Existing Buildings
Last week the Government finally published its long-awaited response to Part L (conservation of fuel and power) and Part F (ventilation) of the Building Regulations Consultation, which closed in February 2020.
For those who want to read the full response, you can access it via the button below:
Future Homes Standard >>
Some notable consultation responses
The desire to become carbon neutral has undoubtedly ramped up significantly in recent years, so the changes to Part L and this response gives some indication on how the Government intends to meet its goal in reducing carbon emissions.
However, it is likely to be the changes to Approved Document F which will be most keenly anticipated by PCA members. Some of the notable responses include:
- Passive Stack Ventilation (formerly System 2) will be removed because it accounts for less than 1% of the market share in new homes
- Further to this, the systems will now be know by their name, rather then a numbering system
- Approved Document F was not the best place for consideration of noise of a ventilation system
- Government is currently considering plans to review and update the provisions provided in Part E
- A desire to remove the Domestic Ventilation Compliance Guidance and incorporate this information with Approved Document F
Draft Guidance finally includes existing buildings
This initial stage of the consultation was very much focused on new dwellings and in conjunction with their response, they have released revised draft guidance which finally includes the section on existing buildings:
Approved Document F – Ventilation >>
The Government is now seeking views on the standards for work to existing dwellings, and the structure of the draft guidance. Members can respond to the draft online:
Future Buildings Standard Survey >>
We urge PCA members to respond
Our initial reaction is we are very pleased to see that it has now been made abundantly clear that in existing homes, all fixed mechanical ventilation systems for which testing and adjustment is possible, are tested and commissioned. Whilst this is nothing new, it is much clearer in this proposal and we hope that this now gets the attention it deserves.
The PCA will naturally be reviewing the draft in greater detail and responding accordingly, and we would encourage everyone with an interest in dampness in buildings to do so too.
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