Retrofitting old buildings is a painstaking task. There are often more answers than questions and each answer needs to be given scrutiny  and consideration of unintended consequences in the building.

The National Trust and Historic England have compiled some case studies, shared by our Retrofitting Working Group, that highlight how challenging it can be to assess the right solution.

The document can be downloaded by clicking in the link below:

• Adapting Historic Buildings for Energy and Carbon Efficiency | Historic England

They have also put together a webpage with links that lead to their technical advice and guidance on climate change mitigation and adaptation for resilience, including energy efficiency, retrofit and Net Zero.
They are intended for professionals, contractors, building managers and maintenance teams, suppliers or officials who wish to add to their existing knowledge and understanding to enable informed decision-making. Building owners and occupants may also find it helpful.

To access the below topics , please click in the link below:

• Energy Efficiency and Retrofit in Historic Buildings | Historic England

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Clerk’s personal experience of the new Housing Qualification

A clerk of a registered almshouse charity with 16 properties is nearing the completion of her Level 4 Housing Course with the CIH and thought other members may find it useful to hear about her experience of the course so far. Note, the qualification is only applicable to Registered Providers.

She writes:

About the Course

• The basic year-long level 4 Housing Course with the CIH comprises 6 modules on various aspects of housing management and is delivered through ‘Moodle’ (an online training package).  
• Around 8-9 weeks is allowed to complete each module with no breaks in study unless modules are completed before the due dates.
• There is limited online contact with the other course attendees via online forum- based activities.
• Completion of each module comprises a written assignment of around 2-3000 words plus quick online activities to submit via Moodle.  
• Provisional pass or fail results (not grades) are released around a month after the closing date of each assignment, with three attempts allowed to complete each stage.   
• The course guidance suggests that 8 hours a week study is needed to get through each of the modules that comprise the course, but this may not be enough.  

Costs

• The basic package which currently costs £2410 (costed £2250 in September 2023) includes limited contact with a tutor via Moodle messaging.*
• The deluxe package with 6 online study days with a tutor costs £2930. *

*Note, prices vary from approved centre to approved centre

Clerk’s Personal comments

It has been hard to complete the course whilst still working and at times the charity’s work has suffered. My trustees have been extremely supportive through this process increasing my hours to cover the extra work.

Whilst I have cursed a lot at the volume of reports and housing law to read, the course has been interesting and I feel more confident about my responsibilities and can see where the Charity needs to make changes for the future.    

Thank you Tina, for sharing your experience.

Note: The Almshouse Association has argued hard for longer periods for clerks to qualify and an exemption for trustees, proposing that our members have 4 years from April 2024 to start the qualification and 4 years to complete the course.

The consultation with Government is still not confirmed. We will update you as soon as we hear.

posted 20 June 2024

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Energy performance Certificates are a requirement for all let forms of accommodation. Although the legislation is not specific to almshouses the Association advises that it is best practice for EPCs to be obtained for them as they may well be requested by residents irrespective of whether the charity’s buildings are listed or not. EPCs are valid for 10 years & are required on the appointment of a new resident.

Further guidance can be found in our Standards of Almshouse Management guidance manual, chapter 16 Buildings, Section 16.8 EPCs.

HISTORIC ENGLAND REPORT

Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) are the Government’s legislated rating scheme to summarise and report energy performance of buildings. The domestic and non-domestic sectors use different methods in order to assess the energy efficiency of buildings. These case studies in the Historic England report focus on the domestic rented sector.

In 2020 the Government consulted on increasing the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) for privately rented domestic properties from EPC Band E to EPC Band C for new tenancies from 2025 and all tenancies from 2028.

Historic England in conjunction with the MEES working group (National Trust (chair), Historic England, Country Land and Business Association, The Central Association for Agricultural Valuers, The Landmark Trust and other stakeholders) undertook case studies to provide evidence of the issues surrounding EPC assessments for traditionally constructed buildings and identify the barriers to successful improvements to energy efficiency.

The key issues identified were:

• EPC assessment procedure
• Fuel types
• Overall costs
• Impact on traditional construction

The guidance is intended for architects, surveyors, conservators, other conservation professionals and anyone who is interested in or responsible for the care of buildings.

Please click here to download the report.

_{posted 20 May 2024}

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Condensation is the liquification of invisible water vapours present in the air in contact with cold surfaces.

Condensation is often associated with the growth of mould as the tiny liquid droplets (condensation droplets) on the surface provide bacteria the necessary “fuel” to thrive, resulting in mould growth. Condensation and mould growth is a common seasonal problem in Britain, primarily affecting old buildings during the colder winter months between October to April. Condensation is generally not a problem during the warmer summer months.

What Causes Condensation?

Condensation occurs when warm humid air comes in contact with cold surfaces, mostly external walls. Water vapours in the air are slowed down near cold surfaces then attracted to them, making vapours to accumulate and liquefy on cold surfaces.

The 2 key variables determining the extent of condensation are:

1. The surface temperature of the wall fabric: colder walls trap more of the available moisture, causing more condensation.
2. The indoor humidity: higher internal humidity means more available moisture to liquefy or condense.

Of these two variables, low surface temperatures or cold wall surfaces – usually attributed to insufficient heating – are considered the main cause of condensation. However, this is only half of the story – there is more to it.

In our experience, especially in old buildings with solid walls, the other variable, high indoor humidity, tends to be a more important factor in the formation of condensation – something that is frequently overlooked or misdiagnosed.

To better understand the relation of these two variables and how they impact old buildings, let’s look at them in a bit more detail.

1. Cold Wall Surfaces

External walls can be cooled down by the external environment, leading to condensation problems driven by low temperatures. 

But which part of the walls is the coldest and thus most susceptible to condensation? Long-term measurements done with embedded micro-sensors, however, revealed an interesting fact: the core of old walls was warmer in wintertime than the surface. Although this might sound counter-intuitive at first sight, it does make sense as old walls also accumulate and store some heat (thermal mass) keeping the core of the walls warmer than the environment. What cools down wall surfaces is the ongoing evaporation, making evaporative wall surfaces susceptible to condensation.

This condensation is common in newer buildings, typically built from the 1930s onward, often with external cement render, internally decorated with modern cement plaster, modern emulsion paint or wallpaper.   

And this leads us to the second variable… high indoor humidity.

2. High Indoor Humidity

What can cause high indoor humidity? In addition to man-made moisture, evaporating damp walls and floors are one of the largest sources of indoor humidity in old buildings. How much water can old walls absorb from the ground, store and evaporate out? Lots! These calculations from a British scientific research paper will give you an idea.

Those solid walls standing on the damp soil connected to the water table are constantly absorbing moisture from the ground (rising damp), then evaporating it out into the internal space. This results in constant high indoor humidity in the building, which condenses on colder wall surfaces. Hence condensation can also occur as a consequence and accompanying phenomenon of rising damp. The lack of a damp proof course makes old buildings susceptible to rising damp, resulting in (secondary) condensation as a result of high indoor humidity.

This condensation can often present in several hundred year-old buildings, which despite being built with lime (breathable) and being “leaky” (not airtight by design), can have very high indoor humidity as a result of rising damp. This effect of rising damp – high vapour content indoors leading to condensation – are often overlooked or misdiagnosed.  

The two leading causes of condensation – cold walls and high indoor humidity – can overlap and be present at the same time and both contribute to condensation problems – so good diagnosis is essential for the full resolution of the problem.

Diagnosing Condensation Problems

When diagnosing condensation and mould problems it is important to do both temperature and humidity measurements on the property to establish whether the condensation is primarily caused by cold walls, high indoor humidity or both. High indoor humidity can indicate the presence of some underlying hidden moisture source in the building, this can be rising damp, complete lack of ventilation or something else – there is always a cause behind it that needs to be found.

Just installing robotically some extra ventilation in the building to lower the high humidity won’t necessarily solve the problem and without understanding hat’s going on it’s poor practice.  

Here is a simple test one can do to diagnose the problem. Run a dehumidifier in the building or in the affected room(s). If the dehumidifier consistently extracts large amounts of water from the air – typically half litre or more per day – that’s a strong indication that there is a hidden moisture source present somewhere in the building that keeps generating the excess humidity the dehumidifier collects.

Additional tests can be done by taking absolute humidity readings:, this usually require specialist instrumentation. One often finds that when a hidden moisture source is present in the building, the absolute moisture inside the building is higher than outside. This, in plain English means that there is higher humidity inside the building than outside; or the air inside the building is more saturated than outside. This is not a good thing.

The differences between the absolute and relative humidity is explained in detail here. 

Solving Condensation Problems

Although the theory behind why condensation occurs is simple, solving it or eradicating it can sometimes be more complicated. One is generally recommended to start with simpler actions and gradually progresses towards more complex interventions until the problem is eliminated. Some of these simpler actions one can take can be:

• Improving the ventilation of local areas by pulling the furniture awa from the walls.
• Improving the general ventilation of the building by opening the trickle vents
• Improving the heating in the building

If these do not resolve the problem, more complex actions are required that need professional help. Some of these can include:

• Improving the thermal insulation of the building, either by thermal plastering or plasterboarding.
• Diagnosing, finding and solving any underlying hidden moisture sources affecting the building

Article provided by Core Conservation

posted 13 February 2024

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With warmer and wetter winters expected together with more extreme events such as heavy rainfall, the UK is seeing more flooding events like the recent Storm Henk in January.

We would, therefore, urge members to review and update their Disaster Recovery Plan which includes an Emergency Plan, Evacuation Procedure and Recovery Plan. 

A template is available on The Almshouse Association website in Model Policies and Templates here.

To assist this, we have outlined below some recommended information websites for identifying flood risk areas, actions to take before, during and after flooding, together with measures that could be taken to mitigate the impact of future floods.

Making contact with local businesses, landowners and community groups in affected areas is also sensible. Many local communities at risk of flooding are advised to prepare a resilience plan, which could include vulnerable and older residents. Often the resilience plan has two settings – stand by and activation – as not all flood alerts lead to flooding but it allows residents to be prepared.

Local authorities advise those at risk of flooding to take proactive steps to protect their property, such as flood protection measures or retaining a stock of sand/sandbags. It is also worth noting that if sandbags have been used in a flooded area, they may be contaminated by sewage so should not be retained after use.

In addition to natural flood risks from rivers and the sea, members should also consider what to do in the event of flooding, even outside a flood risk area as the result of a “flash flood” or burst mains water pipe.  Even small water pipes can cause serious damage and require evacuation of residents if left unattended.  Please do review and update your Disaster Recovery Plan to consider Flooding.

posted 15 January 2024

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Since the surge of infestations in Paris, concerns of bed bugs have been on the rise. Thankfully, there are steps you can take to stop them being introduced to your home as well as methods to keep the numbers contained should they find their way in.

Note that, in the case of the latter, it can be difficult to get rid of bed bugs yourself and you should you discover them in a resident’s almshouse, you should contact your local council or pest control service.

Preventative measures

1. Mattress cover: But bear in mind that bed bugs can live in all sorts of spaces around your bed, not just your mattress. They can be found in cracks in the walls, in the joints of your furniture and around the carpet’s edge, so more preventive measures are a good idea.

2. Reduce clutter: If your bedroom is full of clutter, you’re providing more places for bugs to hide. Bed bugs prefer to stay out of sight while we’re active, so if there’s boxes or clothes permanently strewn across the floor, you’re supplying additional shelter as well as spaces to lay eggs. Even if your room doesn’t appear obviously cluttered, always check under your bed. If you’ve got cardboard boxes stored here, you’re giving the bed bugs a prime position to hide close to where you sleep.

3. Vacuum, steam and wash: A clean house is just as likely to suffer from a bed bug infestation as a dirty one, but certain chores will reduce their numbers. For instance, regularly vacuuming your floors, furniture and mattress will pick up rogue bed bugs. This won’t kill them though, so you need to empty the canister between each run, carefully, into a sealed plastic bag in the outside bin.

Heat is a well-known method for killing bed bugs, and so a steam cleaner can be a handy investment that can be used on carpets and upholstery around the home, killing any immediate bed bugs in your path. The temperature needs to reach 130°F with a gentle air flow — otherwise you will just blow the bed bugs away.

Washing your bed linens, the bedding itself (pillows included) and any other fabrics on the highest temperature allowed in your washing machines can also kill bed bugs. The wash temperature needs to be at least 140°F for 90 minutes to be effective, followed by drying on the highest temperature allowed for 30 minutes. Keep any infested items sealed in plastic bags until you’re ready to wash them. If the items can’t tolerate a hot wash, steaming them is another option.

4. Take care with textiles: If you know you’ve got bed bugs in your home, you’re going to want to limit their spreading as much as possible while you work on eliminating them. There are several ways bed bugs can travel, but they tend to cling to inanimate fabrics, which is why our suitcases are often hotspots. They won’t usually hang onto the clothes you’re physically wearing because the movement is too aggressive and they’re not a fan of such intense heat. But any inanimate fabrics or those you carry alongside are certainly at risk.  

6. Be vigilant when you travel: It’s all too common to bring bed bugs home with you when you travel, so it’s a worth knowing what to look for when you check into a hotel room. There are several signs of bed bugs including eggshells, shed skins, ink-like spots of faeces and, of course, the bugs themselves. A musty smell may also be present. Inspect the mattress thoroughly, checking cracks, crevices and seams. Check around the headboard as well as any surrounding fabrics too, such as cushions and curtains.  Wash all your clothes when you return from holiday.

7. Seal any cracks and gaps in your walls: If you share a wall with neighbours, bed bugs may well be able to travel between the properties too. This is because they can fit through tiny cracks and gaps and come out the other side, making their way in through light switches as well as power outlets. With this in mind, you may wish to consider caulking and sealing any unnecessary cracks in the walls.

Make sure you don’t bring the bed bugs in with you if you share a communal space too, such as a hallway. Don’t leave items on the floor, and check your shoes and clothes as you enter.

posted November 2023

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Problems encountered with Charity Commission Accounts

We are aware that a number of our members have encountered problems when trying to log onto the Charity Commission website and we have, therefore, been in communication with the Charity Commission in order to ascertain the current position.

We understand that the Charity Commission has recently undertaken an update of their systems which, unfortunately, has led to extensive, temporary problems for charities needing to gain access to file returns, lodge accounts etc.  

We are informed that as matters stand the ‘My Charity Commission Account’ as a service is working and functional, however access to the area for filing for Annual Return 2023 is still under development. This will be launched within the next few weeks, and communications will be sent out when this happens.

It is now necessary for every charity in England and Wales to register for a ‘My Charity Commission Account’ and we understand that charities can contact the Commission in one of the following ways to request access, although there are likely to be considerable waiting times if telephoning which could be as much as 45 minutes:

• Telephone: 0300 066 9197 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm)
• Email: myaccount@charitycommission.gov.uk

In the event of a change of email address, it is necessary to request a new link and set up a new account.

It has been confirmed that when contacting the Commission, it is the main listed contact who should get in touch and, if this is not known, a trustee of the charity should telephone who will then be taken through a verification process.  

To reiterate – Filing for Annual Return 2023 is not yet available, though we have been advised that Returns lodged in due course will be backdated.  Filing for Annual Return 2022 and years prior to this are available which must be completed within a Charity Commission account, here: Sign in (charitycommission.gov.uk)

We are conscious that the current situation is causing considerable frustration and can only advise our member almshouse charities that we are assured that the Charity Commission is doing all possible to rectify the position at the earliest opportunity.

posted 20 September 2023

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Lithium batteries are generally safe and unlikely to fail, but only so long as there are no defects and the batteries are not damaged. When lithium batteries fail to operate safely or are damaged, they may present a fire and/or explosion hazard.

Lithium batteries have found themselves in the news recently – for both good and bad reasons. The increasing use of lithium-ion batteries is due to their ability to store and provide much more energy than other battery types, allowing for longer usage. This has led to a transport revolution, with many people using e-bikes and e-scooters as a greener and more economical form of transportation. Unfortunately, it has also resulted in a frightening increase in particularly dangerous fires.

If overheated – through damage, flawed design, or the use of substandard chargers – lithium-ion batteries can create fierce fires that are not only difficult to extinguish but also release toxic gas. These fires can occur when just one cell of the battery overheats, creating a domino effect or “thermal runaway”, with a fire developing within seconds that can reach a temperature exceeding 600 degrees Celsius.

Steve Sitch, Chief Executive of Exeter Homes Trust has kindly shared with members their Fire Safety Bulletin on the topic of Lithium batteries. Trustees and clerks may want to share similar advice with their residents.

• To access, please click here.

posted 14 September 23

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On 7 September 2023, the Government announced an extra £50M home adaptation fund will be provided to local authorities in England so they can make quicker home adaptations for older people or those with disabilities, ensuring they can stay independent.

• Additional funding to help older and disabled people live more independently in their own homes
• £50 million to be provided this year to adapt people’s homes
• Overall, adaptation grants support 50,000 people a year and help people to be discharged from hospital quicker, cutting waiting times.

In order to be able to apply for a grant:

• Eligibility – Someone living in the house must be
  • (a) disabled
  • (b) intend to live there for the grant period (usually 5 years but can be shorter if, for example, they are terminally ill).
• Application must be submitted by either
  • (a) owner
  • (b) tenant
  • (c) landlord
• Council needs to be satisfied the work is
  • (a) necessary and appropriate to meet disabled person’s needs AND
  • (b) reasonable and can be done, depending on age and condition of the property (c) the work should be completed within 12 months of the grant being approved.
• Planning and Building regulations approval is required separately and the Council may ask applicants to employ a qualified architect to plan and oversee the work.  If you get a grant, you can use it towards the cost of their fees.

• To view the full Press Release, please click here
• How to apply for Disabled Facilities Grant: https://www.gov.uk/disabled-facilities-grants
• For details of other Loans, Grants and Funding which may be available go to Loans, grants & funding | (almshouses.org)

posted 13 September 2023

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