Lifetime costs
What it costs: Flooring
Level access showers can improve quality of life for disabled users. Peter Mayer of BLP Insurance looks at the design options and lifecycle costs for retrofitting them into existing floors
What it costs: Tensile fabric
Fabric roofs are becoming the topping of choice for everything from bike sheds to concert venues. Peter Mayer of BLP Insurance looks through the available options
What it costs: curtain wall glazing
Curtain wall glazing can do many things: control temperature and light levels, and even clean itself. Peter Mayer of BLP Insurance looks through the available options
What it costs: Heat pumps
They are amazingly efficient, but setting up a ground source heat pump may be tricky if you haven’t considered all the factors. Peter Mayer of BLP Insurance gives us the lowdown
What it costs: Pervious paving
Sustainable urban drainage systems are a must for school and hospital developments. Peter Mayer of Building LifePlans gives the whole-life costs of one solution
What it costs: Green roofs
Green roofs may have environmental benefits, but what do they cost to install and maintain? Peter Mayer of Building LifePlans talks us through the issues
What it costs: Garage doors
Residential garage doors come in a variety of shapes, sizes, finishes and styles. Peter Mayer of Building LifePlans considers their maintenance issues and lifecycle costs
What it costs: Bathroom pods
Using modular bathrooms can save cash, labour and time, says Peter Mayer. So here’s a shower of useful information to consider when specifying and fitting
Tread carefully
It’s an extraordinary statistic but the Health and Safety Executive estimates that one serious slip accident occurs every three minutes in the UK.
Get off the fence
Whether it’s timber, concrete, steel or plastic, a garden fence has to be sturdy and secure. Peter Mayer of Building LifePlans looks at the life-cycle costs.
What it costs: Rainwater drainage
Keeping rainwater off roofs and away from buildings is essential to avoid inevitable damage and exorbitant repair costs. Peter Mayer of Building LifePlans considers the costs and options for eaves gutters and rainwater downpipes
What it costs: windows
There are a lot of variables to consider when specifying windows. Peter Mayer of Building LifePlans tots up the numbers for different options
What it costs: roof coverings
Reducing wind damage to roofs is one key to meeting the challenge of climate change. Peter Mayer of Building LifePlans considers the whole-life costs of materials
What it costs: timber internal doors
There are so many timber internal doors on the market, it can be hard to see the wood for the trees. Peter Mayer of Building LifePlans helps specifers pick the right product
What it costs: water softening
You can treat hard water with chemicals or condition it with electricity but one thing’s for certain – if you want to meet Part L1, you’re going to have to do something about it. Peter Mayer of Building LifePlans counts the costs of the various options
Costs: Liquid roof waterproofing systems
Liquid roof waterproofing systems offer a versatile range of options. Peter Mayer of Building LifePlans reviews these and their whole life costs
Costs: Entrance flooring systems
Entrance flooring systems tend to be short-life components with high whole-life costs. Peter Mayer of Building LifePlans assesses options and costs for entrance matting
Costs: Rooflights
Dome rooflights are a great way to get light into a building. Peter Mayer of Building LifePlans considers the specification options, durability and whole-life costs
Costs: Timber cladding for walls
Timber cladding is an attractive and sustainable option for external walls. Peter Mayer of Building LifePlans assesses commonly available options and their whole-life costs
Costs: Flat roofs
High-performance built-up bitumen coverings have expected service lives in excess of 20 years. Peter Mayer of Building LifePlans considers some options and whole-life costs for flat roofs
Costs: Anti-bacterial surfaces
The NHS pays £1bn a year to treat hospital-acquired infections. This may be cut by specifying anti-bacterial surfaces. Peter Mayer of Building LifePlans considers some options …
Costs: Solar hot water systems
Will the new Part L see mass uptake of solar hot water systems? Peter Mayer of Building LifePlans looks at the specifications and their whole life costs
Costs: Structural steel
If structural steel is your frame of choice, you need to think about fire protection. Peter Mayer of Building LifePlans runs through the various options and what each one will cost
Costs: Acoustic flooring solutions
Complaints about noise transmission in the home are on the up. Peter Mayer of Building LifePlans looks at the choice of acoustic flooring solutions and analyses their whole-life costs
Costs: Natural ventilation for offices
Natural ventilation for offices not only makes financial sense but also offers a sustainable solution to environment management. Wec examine the whole-life costs
Costs: Lighting systems
Good lighting design can give retailers a competitive advantage as well as being energy efficient. Peter Mayer of Building LifePlans looks at the whole-life costs of common lighting options
Costs: Sealant joints
Sealant joints may be the weakest link in a facade. Peter Mayer of Building LifePlans runs through key whole-life performance and costs issues for sealant options
Costs: Condensing gas boilers
Condensing gas boilers have become the heating unit of choice for homes. Peter Mayer of Building Performance Group considers the options and examines their whole-life values
Costs: School toilets
Jamie Oliver is sorting out the nation’s school kitchens, but what about the toilets? Peter Mayer of Building Performance Group sums up the issues on choice of material and long-term durability
Costs: Off-site manufactures
The government needs buildings – plenty of them, and fast. Peter Mayer of Building Performance Group asks whether off-site manufacture is the best whole-life-value solution
Costs: Wooden floors
Increasingly, wooden laminate floors are being selected as a floor finish. Peter Mayer of Building Performance Group considers the options, key durability criteria and whole-life costs
Costs: Bathroom standards
When baths need to be replaced, understanding detailed specification options is the key to making the best value life-cycle decisions, says Peter Mayer of Building Performance Group
Costs: Roof coverings
Different roof coverings vary widely in terms of costs and durability. Peter Mayer of Building Performance Group sets out guidelines on lifespan and whole life costing for fully supported metal sheet roofing, while Davis Langdon provide capital costs for a range of other roof types
Lifetime costs: educational buildings
School-building is booming, thanks to the PFI – and firms now have to build with best value rather than lowest price in mind. Peter Mayer of Building Performance demonstrates how to cost a school's whole life
Lifetime costs: Structural floors
With so many ways to build structural floors, how do you choose the right one? Peter Mayer of Building Performance Group reviews the whole-life performance and cost of timber, concrete, steel and composite floors
Lifetime costs: masonry walls
The higher costs of making sure your masonry wall complies with Part L are partially offset by annual savings in energy costs. But by how much? We do the sums
Lifetime costs: Secured by Design
What is the most cost-effective way of reducing criminal damage to property? We consider the whole-life costs of Secured by Design standards for housing refurbishment
Lifetime costs: pitched roofs
You've got your pitched roof, but how do you cover it? Peter Mayer of Building Performance Group considers the whole-life costs of a variety of roofing options, from bitumen to concrete to metal to tiling …
LIfetime costs: durable floors
You've got a floor to cover, but which material is going to serve your client best – and for the longest – for the least amount of money? Peter Mayer of the Building Performance Group shines the spotlight on the whole-life costs of PVC, linoleum and carpeting
Lifetime costs: partitioning systems
Or, a specifier's guide to the whole-life cost of partitioning systems. Compiled by Peter Mayer of the Building Performance Group
Lifetime costs: environmental control
John Armstrong, an independent consultant and chairman of the CIBSE maintenance task group, outlines the whole-life costs of a range of evironmental control systems and examines the expense-creating problems often associated with such installations
Lifetime costs: Walling and environmental efficiency
Walling is a key element of construction lifetime costs. Kathryn Bourke of BRE underlines the main implications in planning the whole service life and performance of walls – plus overleaf, BRE's new environmental profiles scheme explained
What it costs: Tiled cladding
Tiles, shingles and slate can provide traditional and thermally efficient covering for external walls. Peter Mayer of BLP Insurance considers the options
What it costs: Commercial biomass
Biomass heating systems may cost a lot to install, but they’ll pay off in no time – assuming you choose the right system and the right fuel. Peter Mayer of BLP Insurance assesses the options
What it costs: Suspended ceilings
The many choices when specifying a suspended ceiling for a hospital are made more difficult by the regulations on cleaning and acoustics. Peter Mayer of BLP Insurance takes a look
What it costs: Synthetic resin floors
These hardwearing floors come in a baffling array of types, but fear not: Peter Mayer of Building LifePlans is here to simplify matters
What it costs: Insulated renders
Insulated render systems save energy and look good. Peter Mayer of Building LifePlans sums up the variety of choices and highlights some topical issues and lifecycle costs
Lifecycle costs: New standard for whole-life costing for buildings
A new standard has been published that allows whole-life costing for buildings to be compared for the first time. Joe Martin of the BCIS explains how it works and applies it to a notional school project
What it costs: Thermal insulation
Insulation is an effective way to help meet Building Regulations targets on carbon emission reduction. Peter Mayer of Building LifePlans examines the effectiveness of different materials
What it costs: BREEAM – how to get good grades
Many schools must now have a ‘very good’ BREEAM rating to meet regulations. Peter Mayer of Building LifePlans outlines the ways to get credits and the associated costs
Designs for life
European structural design codes will introduce the concept of ‘design working life’ to British engineering. Peter Mayer of Building LifePlans explains exactly what that means.
What it costs: CHP (combined heat and power systems)
With Combined heat and power (CHP) or co-generation systems, heat that might be lost as a by-product of electricity generation is captured for space and water heating. Locally supplied electricity incur lower transmission losses than the national grid, which runs at losses of 40%. Payback periods of four to 10 years are possible.
What it costs: Textile floor coverings
The whole-life costs of textile floor coverings can be distinctly pricey for commercial and domestic buildings. Peter Mayer of Building LifePlans reviews the options
What it costs: ceramic tiles
Ceramic tiles have come a long way since ancient Egypt. Peter Mayer of Building LifePlans considers the options
What it costs: mechanical ventilation
In many instances mechanical ventilation may be the only option to manage office environments. Peter Mayer of Building LifePlans explores the options
What it costs: photovoltaics
Photovoltaics may help reduce energy costs, as well as cutting CO2 emissions. Peter Mayer of Building LifePlans looks at the options and whole-life costs of PV systems
Costs: Curtain wallings
Curtain walling looks simple, but it’s a complex network of systems and components. Peter Mayer of Building LifePlans examines the whole-life costs and performance of all of them
Costs: Energy for sports facilities
Sports facility specifiers are under pressure to find energy-efficient heating. Anthony Waterman of Sense Cost Consultancy considers radiators vs underfloor heating for changing rooms
Costs: Treatment of domestic wastewater
Anthony Waterman of Sense Cost Consultancy considers the respective benefits of two recent innovations in the treatment of domestic wastewater in small and rural communities
Costs: Concrete repairs
The concrete repair sector is big business, but work is often done haphazardly, causing worse problems. Anthony Waterman of BRE examines repair options and their whole-life costs
Costs: Bathroom fit-outs
Bathroom fit-out costs can make a big dent in budgets, particularly on large developments. Anthony Waterman of BRE compares the benefits of traditional techniques and off-site pods
Costs: Floor coverings
The cost of floor coverings can be a significant factor in a fit-out and the subsequent cleaning and maintenance regimes. Anthony Waterman of BRE looks at the whole-life costs
Costs: Industrial doors
Industrial doors have to resist heavy traffic and hard treatment. Peter Mayer of Building LifePlans outlines the options and whole-life costs
Costs: Coated steel claddings
Coated steel cladding provides a cost-effective weathering envelope for buildings. Peter Mayer of Building LifePlans examines the specification options and their whole life costs
Costs: Kitchen furniture
Kitchen furniture needs to look good and, even more importantly, withstand a lot of wear and tear. Peter Mayer of Building LifePlans assesses the options and their whole-life costs
Costs: Rainwater harvesting
Rainwater harvesting offers a sustainable solution to water shortages in these hosepipe-banning times. Peter Mayer of Building LifePlans looks at the options and analyses the whole-life costs
Costs: Prefabricated structural panels
Prefabricated structural panels are increasingly specified as an alternative to traditional site construction. Peter Mayer of Building LifePlans considers the whole-life-cost implications
Costs: Single-ply membranes for flat roofs
Choosing the right single-ply membrane is not simple, especially as the options are often difficult to compare. Peter Mayer of Building LifePlans looks at some of the more common choices
Costs: Moisture damage in timber floorings
How much does it cost to ensure your timber flooring complies with regulations on preventing moisture damage? Peter Mayer of Building LifePlans compares various specification options
Costs: Doorsets and site assembled doors
What are the cost benefits of factory-finished doorsets compared with doors assembled on site? Peter Mayer of the Building Performance Group looks at the whole-life values
Costs: Stone facades
So do you go for natural or reconstructed stone for your stone facade? Which will offer the best whole-life value? Peter Mayer of the Building Performance Group breaks down the options
Costs: Metal roofing claddings
Metal self-supporting roofing is becoming ever more popular, and not just in the commercial and industrial sectors. Peter Mayer of Building Performance Group considers the options and costs
Costs: Wall finishes in healthcare buildings
Wall finishes are crucial in healthcare buildings, where high demands are placed on durability. Peter Mayer of Building Performance Group sets out guidelines on whole-life costing
Costs: Crime prevention
Want to reduce crime and improve whole-life performance of components? Secured by Design standards can offer a win–win option
Lifetime costs: roofing
Metal prices have gone through the roof – which means the cost of your copper covering is sky-high. So which material is best value? Alex Smith reports, Davis Langdon & Everest crunches the numbers
Lifetime costs: Entrance doors
There are more doors out there than in Monsters, Inc – so which offers the best value for your specification? Peter Mayer of Building Performance Group outlines the costs and performance of three entrance door types
Lifetime costs: renders
With so many render options out there, how do you choose the one you need? Peter Mayer of Building Performance Group examines the key issues and outlines the whole-life costs of three alternatives
Lifetime costs: Part M access
What is the most cost-effective way to deal with disabled access for new or existing buildings? Peter Mayer of Building Performance Group considers the whole-life costs of implementing the proposed Part M
Corporation may consider 'lifetime costs' of buildings
Change to total cost indicator would help associations fund energy-efficient homes
Lifetime costs: sanitaryware
The choice of sanitaryware in hospitals and healthcare schemes is a crucial one – but how to decide what to go for? Peter Mayer of Building Performance Group examines the whole-life costs of components
Lifetime costs: flat roofs
Asphalt, single-ply polymers and built-up roofing systems are the main options for covering a flat roof – but which offers the best value over its lifetime? Peter Mayer of the Building Performance Group breaks the costs down, and explains how to make your roof last longer
Lifetimes costs: wall claddings
The range of wall claddings available is huge, and in deciding which to specify you must take into account their varying durability and whole-life costs. Peter Mayer of the Building Performance Group examines softwood, plastics and high-pressure laminates
LIfetime costs: timber and PVCu windows
The Building Performance Group takes a look at the window specifier's options in timber and PVCu frames, including the pros and cons of each type, how long the frames can be expected to last, and what they'll have cost by the end of their service
Lifetime costs: Full metal packet
Metal roof coverings are many and varied – and so are the accompanying costs. In the first of Specifier’s Lifetime costs series, the Building Performance Group offers a guide to lifespan, whole-life costings and the durability of metal sheet roofing
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