BER for top floor apartment with complex roof structure

Tim Robbins

Hi,
I have an apartment that's top floor. Part of the roof is flat (about 90 - 95%), part of it (5 - 10%) is slanted with velux windows.

My assesor told me he's going to need a lot of technical details otherwise he'd have to use defaults. This apartment roasts and it would be a shame if it got a bad rating.

I contacted the builders to look for more techinical specifications who gave me bits and pieces but not everything I needed.

He told me the architects who designed the apartments have gone out of business. But he assured me it was built to 2002 standards.

So are defaults my only option or are some assesors able to tell either by having very good industry knowledge or by some tools what way the apartment is insulated?

Ideally, I'd like to get the best assesment possible so hence my post here.

Thanks.

topcatcbr

The defaults assume it was built to building standards 2 years previous to the buildings age so if your dwelling is 2004 or newer it will asume the standards of 2002.

sinnerboy

Without

1. photographic evidence or
2. documentation like architects drawings and / specification signed by the developer to be "as built" or
3. invasive works ( you would not like that )

An assessor must use only defaults

Tim Robbins

topcatcbr wrote: »

The defaults assume it was built to building standards 2 years previous to the buildings age so if your dwelling is 2004 or newer it will asume the standards of 2002.

It was built 2002, so must is use 2000 standards or is there any difference?

ardara1

In my experience top floor apartments/pent houses were woefully inadequate when it came to complying with Part L to the extent that many developers AVERAGED the performance of all the apartments (Which was allowed) to make the penthouse work.

Firstly - check the glazing to floor ratio - I've seen up to 60%!!! Let us know the result of that one!

The developers normally didn't care what the rating would be - it just had to comply.

Again - the top penthouse was sometimes of a different construction than the rest of the building - being metal frame or timber frame sometimes.

And if you do get the architects drawings, I wouldn't necessarily agree that what is written on the spec was used actually.

sinnerboy

Absolutely . Drawings alone mean nothing . They must signed "as built" by the developer

ardara1

Tim Robbins wrote: »

It was built 2002, so must is use 2000 standards or is there any difference?

If the application was made before end Dec 2002 - the 1997 Regulations could be used upto 31st Dec 2005.

Tim Robbins

ardara1 wrote: »

If the application was made before end Dec 2002 - the 1997 Regulations could be used upto 31st Dec 2005.

I suppose the million dollar question is how worse will the assesment be if the BER assesor has to use defaults?

I have asked the builder for insulation info on roofs and walls and he told me:

1. 100 mm cavity walls with 60mm Kingspan EPS insulation
2. Upside down roof with insulation on top of asphalt plus ballast
3. 80 MM Kingspan TR 26 insulation

The problem is, the part of the roof that is slanty. For that all he has told me:
1. Rigid roof polystyrene between rafters

Does this sound like an apartment that should beat the rating given by defaults or an apartment that would get the exact same rating if defaults are used?

I lived in this apartment for 5 years and I rarely had any heating on. It roasted. So it seems odd if I can't get a good rating.

Same time, what's the point about worrying about specs if it would get the same rating using defaults?

topcatcbr

Tim Robbins wrote: »

I lived in this apartment for 5 years and I rarely had any heating on. It roasted. So it seems odd if I can't get a good rating.

Eskimo's live in Igloo's and i bet some of them will make the same clame.
But without doing a BER on your home i cannot give you a more definitive answer on your other questions. Talk to an assessor. And get an opinion based on your specific needs. I understand you not wanting to waste money but this should not be expensive and most assessors would appreciate a client who is genuinely interested in this so they should give you all the help you need at little or no extra cost. They are not busy at the moment;)

sydthebeat

you could always drill a hole in the roof and walls large enough for the assessor to properly ascertain exactly what the construction make up is....

sorted...

dunie001

sydthebeat wrote: »

you could always drill a hole in the roof and walls large enough for the assessor to properly ascertain exactly what the construction make up is....

sorted...

That is a great idea syd but it has one or two serious flaws...if you drill a hole through a flat roof, there is a huge possibility that the owner would end up with a not so lovely water feature in their apartment!

The defaults wouldn't be too bad for doing the Assessment...in fact if the apartment was built anything like some of the other ones around the country, then the default values might even be better than the actual u-values...