Articles by Argile

When a client hesitates between heating and insulation, it's often the right moment to propose a winning duo. By combining a properly sized heat pump with external wall insulation, you secure comfort, reduce heat demand, and avoid an oversized unit that disappoints in use. With the right site method, you turn a vague request into a clear, costed, reassuring plan.

5 min read

At rafter level, U = 0.16 W/m².K asks for around 210 mm of mineral wool at λ 0.035, close to 230 mm off the slope once the lining is on. Approved Document L says so itself in Table 4.3: where that would limit headroom, a lesser standard may be appropriate.

6 min read

On a ground source heat pump, the horizontal loop is decided by the plot, not by the catalogue: clear area, plant access, soil type, no future loading over the trenches. On the paperwork side, the grant runs through MCS certification and a room-by-room heat loss calculation, not through a rule of thumb on floor area. Getting that wrong is a job that does not qualify.

5 min read

When the goal is fast, stable hot water with no tank, installation quality makes all the difference. As a tradesperson, you control the points that prevent temperature swings and callbacks: real flow rate, pressure drop, scaling, settings. Here we go straight to practice, so you can size accurately and install cleanly on the first visit.

5 min read

On site, it's not the technical work that wastes time, it's hesitation at the moment of deciding. When you set a clear framework from the start, you secure the quote, align the client, and avoid the backtracking that eats into your margins. Here's a simple method for choosing the right criteria, in the right order, and moving forward without ambiguity.

5 min read

On an energy renovation site, every oversight costs time, and sometimes a grant. With a well-maintained digital model, you visualise the existing building, coordinate the trades and lock in your insulation and equipment choices before starting. The result is fewer back-and-forths, more accurate quotes, and a client who finally understands what you are proposing.

5 min read

When you're preparing an insulation job, everything often hinges on one simple question: what's actually on the other side of each wall, outside, inside, the ground, or a neighbour? Getting this right avoids wrong thicknesses, good materials installed in the wrong place, and quotes that go off track. Clarifying these contacts during the site visit from the start protects both the thermal result and the client relationship.

5 min read

On a solar hot water system the backup fuel does not only change the hydraulic layout: it changes the water heating efficiency figure the system has to declare. With a Joule effect electric backup, 36 to 60 % is enough depending on the tapping profile. With a gas backup, the equivalent requirement is 95 to 120 %. Here is where that gap comes from and what it means for product selection, pipework and paperwork.

5 min read

On site, only an actual measurement settles whether a wall is holding up or dragging down the whole work package. A heat flux meter gives you that figure without dismantling anything, provided you hold to the ISO 9869-1 protocol: 72 hours minimum in stable conditions, more than 7 days otherwise, and convergence within 5 % before quoting a number.

6 min read

When you size insulation or a heat pump, a small coefficient can tip the result. Applied correctly, it helps you estimate heat loss more accurately based on contact with the outside, and avoid job sites that end up under-heated or oversized. In practice, it's a simple benchmark to keep your calculations and quotes reliable, without getting lost in theory.

5 min read

When a client wants to move off gas, it's often up to you to quickly decide between an individual solution and a collective option, without promising the impossible. Between power constraints, available space, noise, connection work and support schemes, the right choice is decided on site, not on a product sheet. With a simple site-visit and costing method, you secure the decision and avoid callbacks.

5 min read

When a job site lacks thermal mass, summer overheating and heating swings come back quickly, even after good insulation. By integrating phase change materials into a partition or a lining, you smooth out the temperature without adding weight to the structure or eating into your schedule. It's a clever solution to offer wherever every centimetre and every degree counts.

5 min read