Building Regulations
- Part A – Structure
- Part B – Fire Safety
- Part C – Site preparation and resistance to contaminants and moisture
- Part D – Toxic Substances
- Part E – Resistance to the passage of sound
- Part F – Ventilation
- Part G – Hygiene
- Part H – Waste Disposal
- Part J – Combustion appliances and fuel storage systems
- Part K – Protection from falling, collision and impact
- Part L – Conservation of fuel and power
- Part M – Access to facilities and buildings
- Part N – Glazing
- Part P – Electrical Safety
- Part Q – Security in Dwellings
- Part R – High Speed Electronic Communications Networks
- Part 7 – Material and Workmanship
U-values are a measure of thermal transmittance and express the rate of heat transfer through any element of your building, such as the wall, roof, window or indeed any structural component. The higher the figure, the worse the thermal insulation quality. So aim to keep your U-values low.
Because the construction of these elements can vary so much depending on your design and choice of materials, the U-values vary too and hence they need to be calculated specifically for each element. The units used to express U-values are watts per m² Kelvin (W/m²K). This means that if a wall, for example, had a U-value of 1.0 W/m²K, for every degree of temperature difference between the air on the surface inside the wall and the air on the surface outside, 1 watt of heat would pass through any m².
In addition to the Building Regulations, you may be asked to comply with other guidelines including CFSH (Code for Sustainable Homes), SAP (Standard Assessment Procedures), SBEM calculations (Simplified Building Energy Model) and EPC (Energy Performance Certificates).