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Self-Builders 'Discover' Housebuilding with EVT
22 February 2005

A sustainable and energy-efficient, four bedroom family home in Cheltenham, based on an Excel Building Solutions EVT structure, is being featured on digital TV's Discovery Channel series, 'How to Build a House'.  The private development was built by self-builders, Ben and Wendy Tuxworth, for a budget of £250,000.

Utilising materials from sustainable or recycled sources, high levels of insulation and heating from a ground source heat pump, the house will reduce energy costs and C0₂ emissions to around one third of those normally associated with a property of this size.

The structure for the house was based on Engineered I Beam engineered timber 'I' beams, which combine excellent strength with low weight.  This was important because the location of the house prevented crane access, which meant that each structural beam had to be lifted and manoeuvred into place by hand.

The structure was insulated using Warmcel 500 high performance insulation. Manufactured from recycled newspaper, Warmcel 500 has the lowest embodied energy of all mainstream insulation materials. Non-toxic and not requiring protective clothing to install, Warmcel utilises a small addition non-harmful compounds to achieve excellent resistance to fire.

The external sheathing used for the structural walls is Panelvent, with Sasmox panels used to provide the internal dry lining of the walls and Paneline internal sheathing board used on the internal side of the 'warm roof'.

This 'EVT' construction was used for the 300mm deep walls of the house and the warm roof, delivering U values of 0.12 W/m²K in both cases.

Free from CFCs, VOCs or other harmful substances, the EVT construction also protects the timber structure against interstitial condensation, by ensuring that any moisture that gets into the structure always migrates to the external face, which it is harmlessly expelled.

Because the roof structure is inherently strong, the entire internal space under the roof is free from trusses or other supporting members and can therefore be utilised as usable living space. For this house design, the central 'loft' section under the roof accommodates a lounge area, with a mezzanine floor built out over the open plan kitchen/dining area in the room below.

Externally, the walls are finished in lime render, using locally-sourced sand to achieve an authentic Cotswold appearance. Sections of the walls and the roof fascia were clad in green oak timber from trees felled on site.  Slate was used for the roof covering.

Internally, a mixture of timber was used to create floor, wall and ceiling finishes: European oak for floors, skirtings and door frames, laminated oak board for the stairs, ash doors, tongue and groove solid pine boards for the ceilings and birch plywood for shelves and worktops.

Low-emissivity argon-filled double glazing, surrounded by thick heartwood from sustainably managed pine forests complete the internal and external appearance of the house.