HOW TO LIVE. In This HOUSE

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Sibyl Green
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1 HOW TO LIVE In This HOUSE

2 HOW TO LIVE IN THIS STRAW BALE HOUSE Instructions to help you understand the property you live in prepared for the National Trust by St Ann s Gate Architects LLP

3 WELCOME From the Design Team We d like to tell you about your house, which is very special because its main walls are built of straw bales. The house has been carefully designed and built to make sure that you are kept warm and dry in the healthiest of homes with the most natural and ecological materials possible. You should also be able to use very little energy, bringing down your fuel bills and running costs. Keeping the building in good condition while you live in it and making sure that you look after it in the way it needs, is vital to ensuring that it works as intended and keeps providing you with the healthy living environment. We ask you to do your part and follow some simple guidelines to keep the building healthy and not change the careful balance of materials unknowingly. Please take time to read this booklet carefully to make sure that you understand your house, and how best to look after it. If you look after the house, the house will look after you. We hope you Enjoy your Home!

4 How This Booklet works: 1. 6 Colour Coded Sections: Sections cover different aspects of the house, starting with the site issues, through the way the house is built to how it is finished. Each section is colour coded for easy reference and gives you the basic understanding of the house as a whole. 2. Some simple Do s and Don ts: There are some simple Do s and Don ts where the house really needs to you follow some specific rules to help it stay in the best possible condition. Please read these carefully. They will help you understand what you need to avoid when living in the house Index 1 THE BASICS Layout, orientation and where stuff is Page 5 2 THE BUILDING How is it built, what is it made of Page 9 3 HEATING Understand the best way to keep warm cheaply Page 13 4 HOT WATER How the hot water system works best Page 17 5 VENTILATION Important things to stay healthy Page 19 6 FITTINGS AND FINISHES Vital things for the building s life Page 21

1 THE BUILDING - The BASICS Page 5 The Site Your house is one half of a semi-detached pair of

Cowgrove Road is on the north side of the site.

designed to face south, with most windows and the main entrances on this side.

There are open fields and meadlowland to the south of the gardens, with the river beyond.

.. The ground where the house sits is low-lying at the base of a hill, and the soil poor draining, so

5 1 THE BUILDING - The BASICS Page 5 The Site Your house is one half of a semi-detached pair of cottages, replacing older houses that stood here before. Cowgrove Road is on the north side of the site. The houses sit very close to the road, set down from the height of the road itself, so have been designed to face south, with most windows and the main entrances on this side. The gardens run east-west with garages at the western end near the public car park. There are open fields and meadlowland to the south of the gardens, with the river beyond. BE AWARE THAT... The ground where the house sits is low-lying at the base of a hill, and the soil poor draining, so there is the small risk that in very high levels of rain, the area may flood, which might affect the access to your house or garden. The areas most at risk are shown shaded blue in the plan above Be aware of the Environment Agency s general warnings during periods of rain. It is important to know that you share one septic tank (or in this case a mini treatment plant) which is in the garden of 511 to the west of the houses. There are some rules to living with a tank like this, which are explained later in Section 6. This should not be unduly affected by flooding.

THE BUILDING - SOME BITS ABOUT STRAW BALES... Page 7 WHY STRAW?... Straw bale building is not a new thing, but it is not mainstream construction.

But with concerns for the environment, rising energy costs and increased heating bills it is slowly becoming more popular as a perfect material for more general housing.

.. Thermal: They give an insulation rating twice as good as the current Building Regulations, allowing you to keep your house warm very easily Fire: They are very resistant to

Environmental: Ecological: They are a local material, sustainably sourced and generally a by-product of the farming industry.

.. To stop the straw getting wet, the walls need good hat and boots to keeping the rain off the top and stop wetness coming up from the ground.

6 THE BUILDING - SOME BITS ABOUT STRAW BALES... Page 7 WHY STRAW?... Straw bale building is not a new thing, but it is not mainstream construction. Most people think of the three little pigs. But with concerns for the environment, rising energy costs and increased heating bills it is slowly becoming more popular as a perfect material for more general housing. Straw bales can provide a cost effective, sustainable building which, if used sensible, can be very cheap to run and maintain. GREAT BECAUSE... Thermal: They give an insulation rating twice as good as the current Building Regulations, allowing you to keep your house warm very easily Fire: They are very resistant to fire because they are so densely packed. The air cannot get in to allow fire to catch hold. Environmental: Ecological: They are a local material, sustainably sourced and generally a by-product of the farming industry. They are a natural product, and combined with ecological finishes, make a healthy living environment. Things to watch: Straw bales do not like getting very wet... To stop the straw getting wet, the walls need good hat and boots to keeping the rain off the top and stop wetness coming up from the ground. These houses are built off a brick base, and have a good thatch roof cover to throw the water clear of the walls. The lime render covering on the walls is also very important. It gives a good waterproof covering to the walls, but allows moisture to pass through and allows the walls to breathe. This ensures that the straw is kept dry and healthy. Walls before rendering HAT: The thatched roof will keep rain water clear of the walls. COAT: The lime render on the walls will let the straw breathe. BOOTS: The brick base to the walls will keep the straw bales off the ground.

2 THE BUILDING - STRUCTURE - HOW THE HOUSE IS MADE Page 9 Understanding how the building

eight timber POSTS (Douglas Fir) with connecting top RAILS, helping the straw bales over

BRICK chimney stack and brick fireplaces in the living rooms Internal partition walls are

7 2 THE BUILDING - STRUCTURE - HOW THE HOUSE IS MADE Page 9 Understanding how the building has been made is very important to understanding what you can and cannot do and how best to look after it as you live in it. External walls are made from STRAW BALES that rest on a low brick wall base Each house has eight timber POSTS (Douglas Fir) with connecting top RAILS, helping the straw bales over the two storey height The dividing wall between the two houses is masonry BLOCKWORK with BRICK chimney stack and brick fireplaces in the living rooms Internal partition walls are made from TIMBER STUDWORK, with timber board and plastered board cladding to either side. Straw Bale Walls Masonry Stack Timber Posts and Rail Timber studwork

THE BUILDING - Some General Do s & Don t s Page 11 The

impact or sharp edges very well and may become damaged.

.. Impact against the walls from ball games.

Take care of things that might hit the walls such as

Looking after your thatched roofs is very important

BBQs need to be very carefull controlled INTERNAL

.. And of course accidents will happen, but please.

(chimney wall) If your house is damaged in any way

for shelves and heavy pictures, provided you fix them

Please remember that the straw bale walls will not be

8 THE BUILDING - Some General Do s & Don t s Page 11 The lime render on the external walls is very important for keeping the straw bales dry. It is a strong material, but will not stand up to big impact or sharp edges very well and may become damaged. So please try and avoid... Impact against the walls from ball games. Sharp edges digging in - like bike handles. Take care of things that might hit the walls such as wheelbarrows, large tools and motorbikes etc. Looking after your thatched roofs is very important Fireworks may set the roof on fire - WATCH OUT! BBQs need to be very carefull controlled INTERNAL FIXINGS: OOPS!.. And of course accidents will happen, but please... All walls Straw bale walls Studwork or masonry wall (chimney wall) If your house is damaged in any way please do not attempt to carry out repairs without first informing the National Trust. The internal walls of the house will be sturdy enough for shelves and heavy pictures, provided you fix them to the right ones. Please remember that the straw bale walls will not be able to take fixings for very heavy items, as the screws will not fix well into the bales, although you can however hang picture hooks, which will hang off the plaster This will ensure that only the correct procedures and materials are used so that longer term damage does not occur.

3 Heating - YOUR BOILER Page 13 You may find that the straw bales keep you warm enough without heating!

This will help keep your electricity bills as low as possible. The house has no mains gas connection, so everything runs off electricity.

It is very well insulated (so shouldn t need much heat to feel really cosy) and It has been fitted with an AIR SOURCE HEAT PUMP.

9 3 Heating - YOUR BOILER Page 13 You may find that the straw bales keep you warm enough without heating! But, if you do want to put heating on, it is important you understand how the heating system works to make sure you allow it to operate as efficiently as possible. This will help keep your electricity bills as low as possible. The house has no mains gas connection, so everything runs off electricity. Electricity is an expensive way of running any heating, but your house has two main advantages. It is very well insulated (so shouldn t need much heat to feel really cosy) and It has been fitted with an AIR SOURCE HEAT PUMP. AIR INTAKE Air Source Heat Pumps can take low level heat from the air and concentrate it into much higher temperatures to provide all the hot water and heat your home needs even from temperatures as low as -25 C. If it is allowed to run on relatively low temperatures, it can be a very economical way of heating all your water and provide you with a good ambient heat for the house. The heat pump sits on the outside wall of the house ( ). The heat pump has heavily insulated pipes that connect to the hot water cylinder/ storage tank which is boxed into the corner of the kitchen ( ). This hot water cylinder is an unvented, pressurized tank, which means there is no water tank in the loft. Ground floor plan Heat pump The mains cold water (rising main) is located in the cupboards under the sink area ( ) should you need to turn the water off. Hot water storage tank PLEASE - read the instruction manuals for the heat pump and hot water tank that are supplied with the Health and Safety Manual for more information.

Heating WHAT IS WHERE... The radiators in each bedroom ( ) are supplied with water from the hot water cylinder and designed to run at low temperatures.

The bathrooms are fitted with independent towel rails ( ), which are oil-filled and run off the electricity. These should heat the bathrooms and dry your towels.

They pipes are zoned in THREE AREAS (kitchen, hallway and sitting room) with individual thermostats in each zone.

This is located in the kitchen cupboard ( ) near the hot water tank and settings on them should not be altered.

10 Heating WHAT IS WHERE... The radiators in each bedroom ( ) are supplied with water from the hot water cylinder and designed to run at low temperatures. They are fitted with thermostatic control valves to adjust the output temperature. The bathrooms are fitted with independent towel rails ( ), which are oil-filled and run off the electricity. These should heat the bathrooms and dry your towels. First floor plan Page 15 The ground floor is heated by underfloor heating pipes, that run through the screed. They pipes are zoned in THREE AREAS (kitchen, hallway and sitting room) with individual thermostats in each zone. The pipes all finish in a central manifold which collects the ends of all the pipes above ground. This is located in the kitchen cupboard ( ) near the hot water tank and settings on them should not be altered. Areas of heating pipes Manifold Ground floor plan For those extra cold winter days and a bit of cosy-ness there is a woodburning stove in the living room ( ). Instructions on how to use this are with the operations manual left with the house. Woodburning stove REMEMBER...if you want to feel warm quickly, don t try turning up the heating, light the woodburning stove! The air-source heat pump works best on a low grade heat over a longer period and needs time to react. A bit of planning will ensure you keep your electricity bills down.

4 Hot Water BE SMART... The hot water storage cylinder water is for both heating and hot water.

This means more elecricity, so if you want to keep your bills LOW, think about how you are using the system.

REMEMBER...DON T WASTE HEAT! The less energy that is used to boost the heating, the more capacity can be devoted to hot water.

.. If you plan a little bit for this, by allowing the house to work for you, you will save yourself money on your electricity bills.

11 4 Hot Water BE SMART... The hot water storage cylinder water is for both heating and hot water. The air source heat pump works best at low grade heat, meaning that your hot water in the taps will probably need boosting from time to time using the ELECTRIC IMMERSION, within the storage tank. This means more elecricity, so if you want to keep your bills LOW, think about how you are using the system. There is a diverter valve on the tank which separates out the hot water for the taps and hot water for heating. The more hot water is used for the heating, the less there is for baths and showers. REMEMBER...DON T WASTE HEAT! The less energy that is used to boost the heating, the more capacity can be devoted to hot water. This means that you will not need to top up the hot water for your showers and baths using the electric immersion too often... If you plan a little bit for this, by allowing the house to work for you, you will save yourself money on your electricity bills. Page 17 IF YOU DO NEED to boost the hot water, you should do this on the main water tank settings control panel. The tank settings can be set to come on all the time, or at set intervals through the day like any other control panel. The settings for the air source heat pump have been determined by the National Trust and you should not need to touch these to live in the house very comfortably. SO PLEASE DO NOT TOUCH THESE PLEASE CONTACT THE NATIONAL TRUST FOR ANY ISSUES WITH THE AIR SOURCE HEAT PUMP PLEASE DON T TRY AND FIX IT YOURSELF Remember - you can control the hot water through the timer for boosing, but if you feel cold, use the thermostats within each room on the ground floor to raise the temperature of the underfloor heating. But remember - immediate heat will not be best achieved this way. If you are cold - light the woodburning stove!

5 Ventilation Page 19 Humans expel moisture all the time, by breathing, cooking and bathing - normal everyday activities.

First floor plan This house will absorb more moisture than most houses because of the breathable materials used to make it - so you should not get too many problems with condensation.

Bathroom extract fan There is an extract vent fan in your bathroom ( ) which should be used when you re having a hot shower or bath particularly.

Ground floor plan The downstairs WC ( ) has also been fitted with an extract vent fan that should be used for your comfort.

12 5 Ventilation Page 19 Humans expel moisture all the time, by breathing, cooking and bathing - normal everyday activities. Allowed to build up, this moisture can cause condensation and mould growth on surfaces. First floor plan This house will absorb more moisture than most houses because of the breathable materials used to make it - so you should not get too many problems with condensation. However, it is still important to ensure that the ventilation fans are used to help avoid this. Bathroom extract fan There is an extract vent fan in your bathroom ( ) which should be used when you re having a hot shower or bath particularly. There is an extract vent fan over the cooker space in your kitchen ( ) which should be used at all times when cooking. Ground floor plan The downstairs WC ( ) has also been fitted with an extract vent fan that should be used for your comfort. There is also an air intake in the fireplace ( ) to ensure that the woodburning stove meets with appropriate regulations. In case of any fire in the building, the house also has smoke detectors, which are linked together and will sound if you are in any potential danger. These have batteries in them that will need regular replacement. Kitchen extract WC extract fan Smoke detector All windows are fitted with trickle vents to give constant background ventilation and fresh air intake for the house, provided they are left in the open position. REMEMBER...A HEALTHY BUILDING MEANS A HEALTHIER YOU!

6 Fittings and Finishes Page 21 Your DRAINS.

This is an environmentally friendly method of treating the sewage from your house on

sent to drainage outlets in the ground some distance away.

TRUST as part of their responsibilities as landlords. BUT.

not to damage the system. PLEASE DO NOT.

products down the loos Wash paints down the sinks The tank should work quietly behind the

THE DRAIN. sewage treatment plant (indicative image) ONLY NATURAL.

inside and out, which will allow the transfer of moisture through the straw bales in a

13 6 Fittings and Finishes Page 21 Your DRAINS... These houses are not connected to the main sewer, but have a SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANT. This is an environmentally friendly method of treating the sewage from your house on site, meaning that the waste is contained, and only clear water is discharged, which is sent to drainage outlets in the ground some distance away. The tank will need to be regularly serviced and occasionally emptying by the NATIONAL TRUST as part of their responsibilities as landlords. BUT...There are some very important and simple rules that you will need need to follow so as not to damage the system. PLEASE DO NOT... Use chemical products and caustic cleaners Flush nappies or any feminie hygenie products down the loos Wash paints down the sinks The tank should work quietly behind the scenes, causing you no trouble, if you are careful how you use it and what you put DOWN THE DRAIN. sewage treatment plant (indicative image) ONLY NATURAL... The straw bale walls of this house need to BREATHE The walls are plastered with lime inside and out, which will allow the transfer of moisture through the straw bales in a natural way, reacting to you as well as the weather outside, keeping the straw bales dry and safe. This plaster has been finished with a speacial natural and breathable organic paint, which also allows this breathability. Using any normal, nonbreathable paint (like a vinyl) is a bit like putting a plastic bag over your body in contact with your skin. It will trap moisture and prevent the walls working the way they should. Natural, Organic and Breathable Products Lime-based paints Clay-based products Non-breathable paints and finishes Vinyl-based paints PLEASE - HELP KEEP THE WALLS HEALTHY. USE THE RIGHT PAINT! ALWAYS CHECK FIRST WITH THE NATIONAL TRUST

14 USEFUL CONTACTS: The National Trust: OFFICE: THANK YOU... For Reading this Booklet

15 Copyright reserved brochure designed and compiled by: St Ann s Gate Architects LLP, SALISBURY Tel:

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