KEYSTONE’S HI-THERM LINTEL IS THE ANSWER TO TO NEW PART L REGULATIONS

Preparing our homes for a zero-carbon world has led to changes and more stringent requirements in Building Regulations Part L. The revised Part L includes tougher limits on carbon emissions for new build properties, with a 31% cut for dwellings compared to the previous version. These changes mean taking a more holistic approach to futureproofing homes, with measures built-in for the life of a building being one of the most effective ways to reduce energy consumption. Keystone Lintels explains why its award-winning Hi-therm+ lintel is one of the best ways for housebuilders to address the issue of thermal bridging, which can impact significantly on a building’s fabric efficiency.

Today almost all lintels in domestic scale dwellings are made from steel for a number of reasons, such as providing more design flexibility and easier onsite handling than other alternatives. However, steel has a high conductivity value and with lintels typically spanning across long lengths when you add them all up in a building, it’s no surprise they are considered one of the worst contributors to heat loss via thermal bridging. Therefore, considering the thermal performance of lintels at design and specification stage is more important than ever. 

Hi-therm+ has set a new standard for thermal efficiency in steel lintels. It incorporates a thermal break and is up to five times more thermally efficient than a standard lintel. Hi-therm+ is a very cost-effective solution, particularly if we look beyond the unit price, as getting the fabric right will save energy throughout the entire life span of the house. 

When compared to more costly renewable technologies, which have a limited lifespan and risk a significant increase in CO₂ emissions from a development once they reach end of life, fabric-first is the secret to improving thermally-efficient building envelopes. By getting the details right at the earliest stages of the design process we will ensure housebuilders and specifiers comply with the new and latest regulations.