Wolseley Can Help

Making your self build home or renovation project environmentally friendly now is going to help prolong the life of your home and reduce the need for any major building works in the future.

Why should you future proof your home now?

• Energy prices are soaring every week
• Gas is not an infinite resource
• Legislation will make it hard for you to sell your home in future
• Make your home unique to increase its value

The Code for Sustainable Homes

Wolseley wants to help self builders, their installers and builders to comply with the Code for Sustainable Homes(CFSH), an important part of the Government’s response to the environmental threat. The CFSH lays down a national standard for sustainable design and construction of new homes. How could this affect your home?
Find out more about how the CFSH affects you - HERE

Tackling Sustainability – The Self Builder Strategy

Step 1 - Design the building to minimise energy demand

• Envelope of the building
• Orientation of the building
• Products which optimise performance
  • In use
  • In controlling use

Step 2 - When energy use is unavoidable try to use renewable sources 

Use less energy in your home and reduce your bills – try lower energy lighting, turning electrical appliances off instead of leaving them on stand by, use thermostatic controls on your heating systems and many more solutions.

• Local renewables
  • Solar thermal
  • Heat Pumps
  • Biomass
  • CHP
  • Photovoltaics
• Remote renewables
  • Green Tariffs
  • District Heat & Power
  • Large Scale

Step 3 - Strive to use products with the lowest environmental impact

The choice of sustainable materials available is expansive from timber frames to lime renders, hemp walls to recycled glass floors. It is important to understand what characteristics make products sustainable, so you can be assured that your project is really making a difference.

• Low embodied energy
• High recycled content  -the product you are using originally began life as something else – your aggregates used on your new driveway could have been reclaimed from a building site where they were once an old house which has now been demolished
• Water efficient
• Ease of installation
• Durable in application
• Maximise use of local natural resources
• Easy to maintain

Step 4 - It is not enough to simply understand products and design

Sustainable manufacturing process

There is no point in using a product which saves energy if in its manufacturing processes it used more energy to produce than it will ever save – would this rest easy on your conscience?

Product can be replaced

Can we afford to use the natural resource? Will the planet be able to survive without it?
Certain types of timber can be re-grown at a sustainable rate thus meaning that by using a timber frame for your home you are not damaging the planet because the resource will be replaced. Read more about Timber and timber frames in the ‘House structure section of the website’

• Sustainable supply chain & manufacturing process
• Consolidation
• Transport efficiency
• Waste reduction - packaging
• Backhauling
• Ethical sourcing
• Local supply points
• Worldwide expertise
• Long term commitment

Energy Performance Certificates Low Down

Read more about EPC’s here –  The Government fills you in on the details here

Take advantage of Wolseley's Technical Offer!

The Wolseley Sustainable Building Center

The Wolseley team has worked very hard to ensure that our portfolio of sustainable construction materials is not only fit for purpose, but is also backed by a robust and established supply chain. We want to ensure we can make these products available to you through our network of over 1600 branches when you need them.

We have a dedicated sustainable team who are based in our unique Wolseley Sustainable Building Center. The Center is a living showcase of sustainable building materials – built from and managed by sustainable and renewable energy products.

The Center is open to anyone who wants to understand more about what is available to them today and you can book a visit by clicking here

Sustainable Information Links for Self Builders

• http://www.wolseleysbc.co.uk – Wolseley’s Sustainable Building Center website
• http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/ - Not for profit organisation offering advice & information on Energy saving
• http://campaigns.direct.gov.uk/actonco2/  - Government advice on living a greener lifestyle in and around your home.
• http://www.berr.gov.uk
• http://www.defra.gov.uk
• EPC Certificates - http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/HomeAndCommunity/BuyingAndSellingYourHome/Se...
• http://www.waterwise.org.uk/  - Reducing water wastage in the UK