The main change to the Standards, as previously announced by NHBC earlier in the year, will be the introduction of a new standard for Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery (MVHR) systems.
Research by the NHBC Foundation found that the move to create more energy efficient homes and improve airtightness has led to around a quarter of new homes being fitted with MVHR systems.
The new technical guidance, Chapter 3.2 `Mechanical ventilation with heat recovery’, will cover issues such as system design, correct specification and installation of ductwork, location of the fan unit and prevention of condensation.
Commenting on the new Standards, which will come into effect for every NHBC registered home whose foundations are begun on or after 1 January 2014, NHBC Standards Manager Paul Cribbens said:
“The new Chapter 3.2 was distributed in October which should have given sufficient time for NHBC Registered Builders to digest, understand and implement the key changes.
This new chapter is a significant step forward in understanding how to get the best performance from this new technology, which we hope will greatly benefit both homeowners and the industry. To help industry adapt to the changes we have produced a video which is available free at www.nhbc.co.uk/nhbcstandards.”
