Louis Airy

In a co-owned building, the question of collective heating usually comes down to three points: real comfort in the flats, controlled service charges, and work that can be carried out without blocking the site for months. You have a key role in making a simple diagnosis, comparing scenarios, and securing a solution that passes the general assembly vote without bad surprises. And if the right option isn't the one people initially assumed, all the better: you save everyone time.

5 min read

No traditional installation code covers dry screed over underfloor heating. The French screed code covers only screeds and slabs based on hydraulic binders, which rules out a gypsum-fibre or plasterboard panel by definition. The only route is a third-party technical approval for the system itself, and that changes your obligations, your insurance and what you write on the quotation. Here is the framework, the verifiable figures, and what a dry screed genuinely saves.

5 min read

A renovation that "works" shows up on the bills… as long as you compare like with like. By setting up simple, regular readings (heating, DHW, ventilation), you turn the client's impressions into concrete proof, and you quickly spot a setting or a habit that's eating into the gains. It's also a great way to showcase your work, without jargon or an over-engineered system.

5 min read

Gaining square metres without touching the plot is often the best option when your clients want to expand quickly, in a dense area. A timber-frame solution helps you stay light on the existing structure, limit reinforcements and keep realistic deadlines, all while improving the building's insulation. That secures both your job and your margin, without turning the neighborhood into a crane field.

5 min read

On energy retrofit job sites, every unfilled position quickly translates into lost weeks, and customers left waiting. For you, as a tradesperson, the challenge is simple: attract the right profiles and help them build skills without slowing down production. With a clear method, you can secure your teams, your deadlines, and your margin.

5 min read

On a heat pump, the thermostat does not create efficiency, it creates a temperature control class. Delegated Regulation (EU) No 811/2013 defines eight of them, each with its own seasonal efficiency bonus, and that is the figure that stands up on paper. Then comes the question that decides the job: volt-free contact, manufacturer bus, or the original controller.

5 min read

Cover the top only. A sheet taken down to the ground kills the through-draught that drying depends on and holds the wood at the moisture of the trapped air instead of taking it below 20%. Here are the protection arrangements that work, the drying times by species, and what you put in writing for the customer.

5 min read

The same load reads 20% or 25% moisture depending on whether the meter works on a wet or a dry basis. That is the first thing to settle before rejecting a delivery. Then come the figures that count: at 20% on a wet basis a log delivers about 4.0 kWh/kg, against 2.2 kWh/kg at 50%.

5 min read

The solar factor Sw is not a comfort criterion left to judgement: it gates the energy saving grant, paired with the Uw, and the scheme sheet sets the exact values. Two traps keep coming back in files: the Sw of a window is not the g of its glazing and is not assessed to the same standard, and a roof window inverts the logic by capping the Sw rather than flooring it. Here are the required pairs and how to evidence them.

5 min read

A heat pump that keeps tripping the breaker is often a job that drags on for nothing. With the right circuit breaker and the right residual current device (RCD), you secure the installation, avoid nuisance tripping and leave the customer with a clean commissioning, no stress. We review the key points to choose and wire correctly, from the very first visit.

5 min read

Between a casement opening and a sliding one, the difference often comes down to one very concrete point — stray air infiltration. For you, as a tradesperson, that's where the saved watts and the client satisfaction are won, at installation and adjustment time. Here's a simple breakdown to help you choose the right solution for the job, with no vague promises.

5 min read

When a client complains of uneven comfort, the problem often lies less with the generator than with the radiators, underfloor heating or fan coil units in front of you. Reading their performance correctly means choosing the right water regimes, sizing accurately and avoiding callbacks. The result: you secure comfort room by room, without overconsumption or endless adjustments.

4 min read

NF DTU 68.3 imposes no airtightness class at all on dwelling ventilation ductwork. What it imposes is a leakage allowance to be built into the sizing, and a threshold beyond which an existing network cannot be reused. Knowing which one applies changes what you write in the quote and what you measure at handover.

5 min read

When a slab-on-grade floor stays cold, it's often what's dragging down comfort and running the heating longer than it should. In a retrofit, insulation is also decided by site details: substrate preparation, perimeter continuity, moisture management and thermal bridges. With a clear method and the right materials, you secure performance and avoid costly rework.

5 min read

On a job site, a few extra or fewer centimetres can change everything. Your job is to find the sweet spot between real gain, budget, and installation constraints, without oversizing just to "do better." Here we help you decide quickly and cleanly, with a field method that also speaks to the client.

5 min read

When residents stay in place, every day of works counts. By framing the living areas, schedules and clean circulation routes from the start, you limit dust, noise and back-and-forth, without slowing down execution quality. A few simple rules and solid communication are often enough to avoid tension and unforeseen issues.

5 min read

With a tight budget, your clients mainly expect quick wins, visible on their bills, without getting lost in ten different work items. Your value lies in making a simple diagnosis, treating first the points that leak the most kWh, then planning the rest in coherent stages. You secure comfort and performance, without overpromising or oversizing.

5 min read

On a half-timbered house, you play a fine balancing act between comfort, moisture and respect for the building. Your insulation and heating choices must let the walls breathe, otherwise problems show up fast, and your client sees it… and feels it. With a simple method and the right materials, you gain performance without erasing the character.

5 min read

A single socket can undo part of the insulation work if air passes behind the box. By choosing the right back boxes and taking care with installation, you secure the job's result and avoid finish rework that eats up time. The idea is simple: treat one critical point properly, and the comfort is felt right away.

5 min read

Thermal conductivity sets the thickness you have to install to reach a given resistance, and it is the one product figure that feeds straight into the energy assessment. It still has to be evidenced: without proof of the insulant’s resistance, the assessment method falls back on a default lambda that wipes out the performance of what you actually installed. Here are the orders of magnitude by family, the matching thickness, and what to write on the quote so the real lambda is the one that counts.

5 min read

On site, your work speaks for itself. Online, it's mostly customer feedback that makes the difference, even before the first phone call. When reviews are well collected and well displayed, they reassure prospects, cut down on "just looking" quote requests, and help you close deals faster without discounting your prices.

5 min read

When you're lining an interior wall, the real challenge is choosing a solution that installs quickly, stays sound over time, and avoids bad surprises with moisture. Bonded insulated composite panel or stud-framed partition, each option changes how you handle services, plumb lines and thermal bridges. With the right method, you save time on site and secure the final performance, without unnecessary extra thickness.

5 min read

Once a job is done, it doesn't all stop at the final finish. A call at day 7, then a simple check-in at 3 months, is often enough to defuse minor issues and show that you carry quality through to the end. The result: reassured clients, more referrals, and fewer disputes dragging on.

5 min read

When a client wants to heat the house and produce hot water with the same installation, you're the one who has to quickly separate promises from job-site reality. With the right configuration, you can aim for concrete savings on the bill, without complicating maintenance or overloading the boiler room. Here's a rundown of the choices that really matter, from sizing to connection.

5 min read

In your energy retrofit projects, saving time should never come at the expense of quality. When files pile up one after another, well-tuned advanced features can make your calculations more reliable, smooth out exchanges and secure your deliverables. The idea is simple: help you move faster while keeping full control over every technical choice.

5 min read

When you're managing a building, every dwelling counts, and so does time. Centralising the information, tracking the work, and keeping a clear view of the units saves you from oversights, back-and-forths, and clients chasing you for updates. With simple organisation, you gain fluidity on the job, without losing your professional standards.

5 min read

On a job site, every minute counts. With an app on your phone, you take measurements, snap photos, note the warning points, and prepare a clean diagnosis without chasing after a notebook or a laptop. The result: standardized site visits, secured recommendations, and time saved on follow-up, from the first survey through to the quote.

5 min read

Between an internal lining and a continuous external envelope, the performance threshold does not move: Approved Document L asks for the same renovated wall U-value either way. What moves is façade access, junction detailing, moisture behaviour inside the wall and the floor area you take off the client. The method is decided at the survey, not in the catalogue.

6 min read

When an on-site survey has to be accurate to the centimetre, every extra visit costs money. With 3D capture, you get a reliable base in a single visit to measure, verify the existing structure and prepare your work packages without guesswork. The result is more secure quotes, better-coordinated trades, and time saved from the diagnosis stage onward, without loading up your schedule.

5 min read

On a heating network, what diffuses heat into the rooms can save time, or waste it, even with a well-tuned generator. As a tradesperson, you can improve overall efficiency by working on the flow temperature, balancing and exchange surface, without adding complexity on site. A few simple choices are often enough to reduce return temperatures that run too hot and to stabilise comfort.

5 min read