Draught Lobby - Necessary??

Quazzie

Just after a meeting with my architect and we are very close to finalizing plans for planning submission, but he has suggested a draught lobby for my front door on the basis that it will achieve a higher BER rating with it. The problem is that it really interferes with the design I had in mind. I am perfectly happy with the design before this suggestion so I'm just curious as to how important a draught lobby is. I know of plenty of new houses (just finished) that have none and they dont seem to have any problems without it.

muffler

Depends on who's supplying and fitting the doors

Personally I would recommend it.

topcatcbr

Do you have room for one inside the front facade. It only requires 2m\2. it will make a significant differance.

Quazzie

for my design it means I have to either sacrifice my plain traditional flat front facade or my big large open entrance area. And I really don't want to do either

[Edit]
I think with a few modifications that I have come up with a compromise. Its honestly not something I ever though of as being a vital design. Can anyone offer any examples of the difference that a draught lobby has made with regards to BER assessment?
[/Edit]

bakerbhoy

Most old farm houses have them.These houses were built before central heating etc and they were not done for the sake of it,plus those houses were built in sheltered areas of farm not for the scenery.Wind and rain will provide enough reason to include draught lobbies to your build , never mind ber ratings.

Mellor

Wind rain and heating,
all benefit hugely from one, i'd always suggest one

ardara1

You on ?HAVE to do one thing - pass the Building Regulaitons Part L and I've never had a situation when the improvment in energy efficiency provided by a draught lobby was the tipping point!
I'f you don't want one - do build one. As your designer what the rating is without AND with the draught lobby - you decide if it's worth it or not.

I planned to build one, but never did in the end (there's still space for it behind the front door).
Our front door is seldom used, even so, I wish I'd build the additional partition as I do sometimes feel a draught from the front door that an internal secondary door would have blocked.

I'm tempted to fit a heavy curtain over it instead, just need to persuade the missus it's not a naff idea!

Quazzie

is it better idea to have the main door protected by a patio door set up rather than an external door and then an internal door??! I've gone for the patio door set up myself, but am just curious as to others (professional) opinions.

Good as a retrofit, looks tacky on a newbuild. imho

Supertech

A patio door (assuming you mean the sliding type) will completely take the look off your traditional flat front facade. Also, the width of the opening section of a patio door is narrower than a standard front door so access is an issue. I'm not 100% sure about the draught lobby, but it certainly does have an effect on the calculations in DEAP.

As others have said, have your designer calculate the differet scenarios and see exactly what improvement it gives you. Decide than if it's worth leaving out and trying to make other improvements by means of upgrading insulation etc.

sydthebeat

If your prelim BER rating is coming in around the C1 mark then a draugh lobby isnt going to make a huge difference, especially if it adversly affects your design.
However if you are around the A3-A2 mark then it will significantly affect it and it would be almost expected.

Ive seen your design and i wouldnt put a single storey porch on the front, i think the elevation you are aiming for is sleek and simple enough. Internally, a draugh lobby may mean you loosing the 'gallery effect' on the first floor landing.

Quazzie

sydthebeat wrote: »

If your prelim BER rating is coming in around the C1 mark then a draugh lobby isnt going to make a huge difference, especially if it adversly affects your design.
However if you are around the A3-A2 mark then it will significantly affect it and it would be almost expected.

Ive seen your design and i wouldnt put a single storey porch on the front, i think the elevation you are aiming for is sleek and simple enough. Internally, a draugh lobby may mean you loosing the 'gallery effect' on the first floor landing.

Thanks Syd. Its something I'd really like to avoid if possible but have been advised its nearly a neccessity for a better BER rating. I've modified the drawings but am far from happy about it. I'd much prefer to go without aesthetically but if it makes a significant improvement on the BER cert I might have to just accept it.

sydthebeat

ive just checked up an old BER ive done on a house that was a C1 rating.

without a draugh lobby the energy value was 162.69 kwh/m2/yr
with a draugh lobby the energy value was 159.32 kwh/m2/yr

a difference of 3.3 kwh/m2/yr is not significant by any stretch of the imagination when around a C or B rating....

topcatcbr

syd did you changethe uvalue for front door to account for unheated space.

sydthebeat

i didnt make any assumptions as to whether its heated or unheated.....
nor do i know whether its internal or a porch.

most likely in this case it would be an internal heated lobby.

Quazzie

I think I'm gonna stick with my original plan. Call me vein but the overall style and look of the house is more important than the difference a Draught Lobby can make

ircoha

Quazzie2002 wrote: »

I think I'm gonna stick with my original plan. Call me vein but the overall style and look of the house is more important than the difference a Draught Lobby can make

Continuing in this vein, I think the DL is a great feature because I do the shopping in our house.
When I get back from Lidl/Aldi with my 10-15 bags/boxes/crates of shopping, it is wonderful to be able to open the outer door, put all the stuff in the lobby, and close the outer door.

My neighbours dont have one and when the shopping is delivered from Superquinn, it is interesting to see how long the front door is left open while the stuff is delivered/ unpacked and the crates come back out.

The other important issue that a DL offers is security, as long as the outer doors are locked.

IMO a climatic decompression chamber is a much more apt title.

We bring our shopping in the back door and the utility acts as a DL while the stuff in unloaded from the car, more than one way to skin a cat!

Tim Toolman

I am just wondering if anyone knows whether it is more important to have a draught lobby to the north entrance of a house or on the south elevation, I know this sounds easy, it must be north but if you are using the south entrance more often. Just on the BER assessment does it take this into account..