energy efficiency group making secondary glazing?

Dear All,

I met up recently with Jo Pickett-Baker from Homes Going Green [Southwark FoE] to discuss whether we could make secondary glazing [which Jo and her husband, both professional model makers, have already done, and which they recommended as part of the Homes Going Green project]. I don't want to tread on the energy efficiency group's toes, but I'd like to explain one possible set of activities for the DIY-inclined that is worth considering.

Since only 10% of a building's heat is lost through not having double-glazed windows, replacing sash windows with double-glaazing is not the most cost-effective efficiency measure [estimated payback time is 70 years]. In addition, many people think their house is worth more with sash windows than with uPVC double-glazing.

However, it is relatively easy and cheap for a skilled DIYer to make their own secondary glazing that can be installed in the winter, and removed in the summer. The materials are affordable - ramin wood for the frame, polycarbonate sheet for the window, self-adhesive draught sealer and fixing items e.g. nails - and the skill level is skilled not beginner DIY because you need to assess each window individually and measure each secondary glazing window individually. A contact in Nottingham was charged £800 for a full set of secondary glazing for their house - but it doesn't have to be this expensive!

There's thus a real potential for our DIYers to enjoy doing this for their own homes. Furthermore, looking ahead, these DIYers could show other people how to do this, or do this for other local people, so that they can [a] benefit from the skills that are developing locally [b] gain awareness of Peckham Power Company as a local group that is enabling affordable energy solutions [c] that do not change the appearance of "buildings of character" thus getting round the objections to energy efficiency measures on aesthetic or conservation area grounds. [d] benefit from a customised affordable energy efficiency measure that requires minimal disruption. Even though many people have installed double-glazing, not everyone has e.g. my rough count of Maxted Road was 22 houses without double-glazing at the front who could benefit.

Jo and I discussed the practicalities of Peckham Power Company members learning how to make secondary glazing. It would need to be a two-stage process - firstly a conceptual and planning session with each person bringing a cross-section of the window they wanted to secondarily glaze [width, height, window area, depth of window, nature of window frame internally, dimensions and position of windowsill, position of blinds or curtains, any window catches] which could happen in Peckham, and then a practical session at which the secondary glazing was actually made [which Jo, if she was involved, would prefer to have at her company's workshop in ?Deptford - the reason for this being that it would be easier to cut the polycarbonate at her workshop]. We'd need to cover the costs of materials, and possibly require a deposit so that people did show up. Jo [or her husband Nick] would be prepared to run a two-stage workshop showing people how to make secondary glazing, provided that the participants had a basic level of DIY practicality. I think some contribution towards their costs might also be appreciated - and not unreasonable to charge, if on a sliding scale according to income.

[Initially I thought about this as a possible option for a future pilot training project - it's far too complicated for that but I think it's well worth doing as part of our activities.]

Anyway, one possibility.

Bw

Anna