HOW TO PREVENT YOUR HOME OVERHEATING

With UK summers getting hotter, what steps can be taken to prevent overheating in homes? We outline what you can do to have a comfortable property all year round

- DAVID HILTON, CLAIRE LLOYD

Overheating in homes has been the subject of many a headline, with the UK experiencing hotter, drier summers and heatwaves.

To comply with Building Regulations, and because we live in a temperate climate, we focus on heat retention when building new homes and renovating existing houses. But this means that we often overlook another major issue, overheating, and how to mitigate it in the summer.

Fortunately, overheating has now been more widely recognised in the Building Regulations for new homes, with the introduction of Part O. This only applies to new builds, however, not the millions of existing homes within the UK.

Here, we explore the mitigation measures that can be put in place when designing a new house or extension, and in some instances when renovating an existing home, to help reduce the possibility and impacts of house overheating.

WHAT CAUSES OVERHEATING IN HOMES?

Overheating is not just limited to the hottest days of summer. It occurs whenever the temperature inside a building becomes uncomfortable for the occupants for a long period of time.

• It can be caused by:
• Inadequate or absent central heating controls
• Poor ventilation Warm outside air
• Large areas of glazing (where mitigation measures have not been considered)
• High humidity, either internally or externally

HOW TO PREVENT OVERHEATING

There are a number of ways to help prevent and alleviate overheating in our homes. In fairly basic terms, some of these mitigations measures can include:

● Designing in the correct use of thermal mass

● A good insulation and airtightness strategy

● Installing external shading

● Maximising your natural external spaces

● Providing the correct cross ventilation regime