Insulate under floor - BC notifyable?

[chapeau]

So my understanding is, If my aim is to insulate, then i dont need to notify, and if my aim is to do something else then i must?

No, the act of insulating is what drags in the Part L document. Then the document tells you what they expect you to do once that part of the building regs has been invoked.

The gotcha is that you are exposing the joists when you lift the boards. If you read the small print in the doc that tony cited you will see it. Don't expose the joists by lifting the boards, and you don't need to notify. I suppose it makes sense in a sort of anal kind of way as they are assuming you are getting deeper into the structure, so want it checking. Ignore it, I would.

 

[tony1851]

No. Part L requires that when renovating, consideration be given to improving insulation. It is the 25% renovation criteria that brings the work under building control.

If insulating anyway, then the work does not require any notification - unless it's cavity wall insulation

Woody; you seem to be suggesting that it is the INTENTION that makes it notifiable - am I right?
So if I take up my old pine boarding to repace it with new pine boarding, I have to notify and insulate; but if I take up my old pine boarding with the INTENTION of insulating - and then put either the old, or new, boarding back, then I don't have to notify?

Seems odd to me.

 

[^woody^]

Gold star, Tony!

There is nothing in the regs to say that the process of insulating the floor requires a notice

 

[chapeau]

No Tony, you were right all along. You quoted the authoritative advice correctly and should ignore unauthoritative internet comment which disagrees.

 

[RonnyRaygun]

No. Part L requires that when renovating, consideration be given to improving insulation. It is the 25% renovation criteria that brings the work under building control.

If insulating anyway, then the work does not require any notification - unless it's cavity wall insulation

Woody; you seem to be suggesting that it is the INTENTION that makes it notifiable - am I right?
So if I take up my old pine boarding to repace it with new pine boarding, I have to notify and insulate; but if I take up my old pine boarding with the INTENTION of insulating - and then put either the old, or new, boarding back, then I don't have to notify?

Seems odd to me.

I wonder how far you would actually get with that argument...I mean, the regs say "consideration must be given". OK, I considered it, and decided against insulating. What can building control now do?

On the other hand, I hack off all my old render with no intention of insulating the external walls. So I don't have to insulate them?

Seems odd to me too

 

[Peter1919]

At the moment i am looking at Solar PV installation, but want to do what i can to ensure that the house falls at or above Level C.

To be clear in order for your PV system to qualify for the higher rate feed in tariff your house has to have an EPC of D or above and that can be AFTER the PV system is installed and a 4kWp PV system generally makes a bout a whole grade difference on an EPC.

 

[chapeau]

The law says 'reasonable provision shall be made for the conservation of fuel and power in buildings by .....'

It doesn't say you can consider it, decide not to do it, and so don't . It means there are multiple ways to safisfy the requirements you can consider many, but you have to come up with one which works.

The Approved Document then gives advice on how to satisfy the requirement. If you follow the advice in there, that is good enough to satisfy the law. If you follow the advice in the approved document, you have no need to consider any other solution. The approved document says floors need to be insulated.

The Approved Document specifically lists non-notifiyable work which is a short list but includes adding insulation to a loft. It doesn't include adding insulation to a floor as an exemption. If you expose the joists while insulating (or even while not insulating) you need to insulate it to a required standard, and have the council check it.

What you 'intend' to do is irrelevant, completely irrelevant. It's what you actually do that counts.

Tony was right all along

 

[mattylad]

What if instead of insulating the floor you sound proof it instead? lol

 

[noseall]

What if instead of insulating the floor you sound proof it instead? lol

If you are sound proofing with materials that don't conduct heat then i guess they will inevitably have an insulative value.

 

[mattylad]

Thats the point - to soundproof you dont have to use specific soundproofing stuff, insulation can work too - maybe not as good. lol

Is soundproofing notafiable

 

[jeds]

Is soundproofing notafiable

It is if it involves adding a new layer to the sturucture. If you add any new layer to a floor covering more than 25% of its area building regulations applies and the floor must be upgraded to comply. This wouldn't apply to surface treatments - such as 'Acoustilay' type material, which is really just a carpet underlay. But it would apply if you lifted the floorboards to fit a new layer within the structure.

 

[JohnD]

25% of room or 25% of house?

 

[jeds]

It's actually 50% of the element or 25% of the whole envelope.

 

[mattylad]

How would "they" be able to tell?

I'd just do it myself.

 

[jeds]

You wouldn't be alone. Can't imagine many people filling out the form and sending off the fee myself.