The biggest problem that most people face when they come to improve the energy efficiency of a building is the bewildering amount of options available to them. There are literally hundreds of products and methods for saving energy and reducing equivalent CO2 emissions. Given the large amount of options available to them, how should someone go about choosing the best way to save energy? Here is a starters guide for choosing your energy saving methods.

Go Compare recently posted some very interesting survey results. They listed all the most common reasons why potential home buyers would be put off from making an offer, when viewing a property. The top reason given in the survey, by some margin, was “Damp patches, stained walls and ceilings”. 70% of people, who took part in the survey, said that this would stop them from buying. In fact, three of the top five answers were related to damp issues or their side effects.

This means that, if you’re experiencing damp problems that are immediately identifiable on the first viewing, 70% of your potential buyers would be immediately discouraged from making an offer. Stormdry can help rectify these problems and make sure that your house is being presented in the best possible way.

When using Stormdry it is important to make sure that the surface you’re working with is adequately prepared. Stormdry can bridge some small cracks, up to an average depth of 10mm. It is important to remember, however, that a small crack can be a sign of structural movement that could lead to more significant problems in the future.

Safeguard Europe, the manufacturers of Stormdry, also supply the Brickfix range of remedial wall repair products. The Brickfix Crack Stitching System ensures that any existing cracks in a building are well repaired. The helical bars and CE1 Grout reinforce the wall you are treating to prevent cracks from reappearing and the filler mortar restores the surface. 

We have just posted a great selection of laboratory studies and independent reports to our Test Reports page. You will find a brief few bullet points about each study or report, along with links to the full test summaries. The original reports are also available to view from the full summary pages.

The Government’s Green Deal and Energy Company Obligation (ECO) schemes will result in a large increase in the number of homes being insulated in the coming years. Whilst this is to be commended, it is important that any insulating measures are carried out in such a way as to avoid causing or exacerbating dampness problems in the buildings to which they area applied.

All types of insulation materials will have an effect on the dynamics of moisture and vapour flow in any buildings to which they are applied and it is important that that this is understood by designers and installers of insulation systems if dampness issues are to be avoided.

Stormdry masonry protection cream has been qualified for 5% VAT by the Ministry of Justice. This applies when Stormdry is used for energy saving purposes on wall insulation applications.

Stormdry's classification as an energy saving material means the 5% VAT rate applies for both installation and product costs. The rate is for all residential properties and buildings used solely for a charitable purpose.