Don’t do it on the cheap, says Roger Murphy of the UK Noise Association about our plans to import homes manufactured off-site in Canada (3 December, page 23).

It is just this type of negative thinking that stops progress. I am pleased he was not around when the wheel was invented.

Canada, with its extremes of climate, has insulation standards higher than those set in the UK. Average required levels of sound transfer insulation in the UK are lower than those in Canada. The main product used in sound/heat insulation in both the UK and in Canada is stone wool insulation.

So I don’t accept the argument that new building methods are about “doing it on the cheap”. What they really mean is that instead of building a few homes with the old brick-and-mortar materials, you can manufacture more affordable homes for the same costs.

If you can offer help and advice to Accent or other companies contemplating similar projects, your input is welcome. But if all you can offer is criticism, stay with the flat earth society.

Peter Wilson, director Accent Group

Source

Housing Today