Welcome to the Retrofit section. Here you will find information that will guide you through the retrofit process from start to finish and equip you with everything you need to know to get your project planned and completed efficiently and on time.

This section is broken down into 2 groups. The first group consists of the 5 Stages of Project Planning. This is the pre-construction stage and here you can find all the information you need for project management, looking after your finances to applying for planning permission and more.

The second group is broken down into 8 stages of Construction (foundations and internal finishes are not applicable). This group provides valuable information on everything you need to know from a building perspective and covers areas of retrofitting from flooring to external finish.

Retrofitting can refer to the improvement of existing buildings with energy efficiency equipment to reduce their consumption of fuels and concurrently reduce their carbon footprint.

Retrofitting is gaining popularity as the imminent impact of climate change is being felt. People are also seeing the economic benefits of retrofitting. The price of fuel will continue to rise. It is costing more and more to heat the home using conventional methods so utilising natural resources makes sense.

It is not just methods of producing energy, it is also about cutting down on the amount of energy we need to produce. For example, a better insulated home will not need to be heated as much. Energy efficient appliances consume less energy. Efficient glazing both prevent heat from escaping and cold air from entering.

Types of retrofitting range from small retrofitting exercises such as improving insulation to large projects such as installing a geothermal heat pump. Cash outlay will also vary depending on type of upgrade but savings are there to be made. The payback period on some will be much shorter than others.

Other sections in iBuild include New Build, Extensions-Garages, Attic Conversion and Renovations.