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Cedar Lodge has many environmentally–friendly features and we try to use good practices in the running of the B&B – read about them here!
ECO- CONSTRUCTION
Timber frame
Cedar Lodge is a timber-frame house, clad in cedar and designed to resemble a barn in keeping with its rural surroundings. Timber frame buildings are more environmentally friendly than traditional bricks-and-mortar, as they use a renewable, less damaging material (wood) which is also a good insulator. Our timber frame was from Tek-Haus, a company based in Germany. The panels made of a sandwich of sterling board and 110mm of polyurethane foam were pre-assembled and fitted together on site. The frame took eight days to assemble and make weatherproof.
Energy
The house is insulated using 110mm of polyurethane in the walls and roof, and triple-glazed windows. The insulated or “warm” roof allows the roof space to be used for living accommodation. This means that the heat loss is only 5000 watts of energy per hour in cold weather (-3 C); much lower than current building regulations require. It also means that the house does not need conventional central heating – we have one calor gas fire in the open plan ground floor and heated towel rails in bedrooms and bathrooms.
 Solar panels on the southern western side of the roof provide warm water on all sunny days.
In full sun, water can reach 70 degrees centigrade using solar energy alone! In dull weather the panels heat the water to a certain level and immersion heaters, using off peak electricity, bring the temperature to 60 centigrade
The house is designed to benefit from natural sunlight.
Energy efficient bulbs are used in the house where possible.
Water
We have a rain-water harvesting system, to supply water for flushing toilets and for cold water to the washing machine. Water from the roof is stored in an underground tank in the garden.
Most toilets in the house have dual-flush cisterns, which give the option of a short or a long flush. Toilets typically account for a third of household water consumption, and dual-flush systems can save on average 27% compared to a normal toilet.
Sustainable drainage
The drive-way is constructed using a permeable surface, meaning that rain water is able to soak into the ground naturally rather than collecting and running off. Brick paviors have been laid on a bed of sand. The access road drains to a soakaway which again returns rainwater to the ground. On a large scale, natural drainage is important for replenishing ground water, and reducing pollution and flooding which can occur when large areas have been developed.
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