STEICO MD Pete Hollingworth calls for tighter alignment in building regulations under the Future Homes and Buildings Standard.
The upcoming Future Homes and Buildings Standard (FHBS) represents a major shift in how the UK construction sector approaches energy efficiency and structural performance. However, industry leaders are questioning whether the proposed updates go far enough to integrate interconnected aspects of building performance, such as thermal efficiency, ventilation, and material sustainability.
Pete Hollingworth, managing director of wood fibre insulation manufacturer STEICO, argues that regulators must adopt a more holistic view. Rather than treating individual elements of a structure as isolated compliance metrics, future regulations need to account for how materials and structural systems interact throughout a building's lifespan.
Focusing on a single metric, such as U-values or airtightness, can lead to unintended consequences if moisture management and embodied carbon are ignored. As the UK tightens thermal requirements, the choice of insulation and structural timber becomes critical. Hollingworth suggests that holistic regulations would prevent design flaws where high thermal performance compromises vapor permeability or structural longevity.
For UK builders, carpenters, and roofing contractors, tighter regulatory alignment means moving away from traditional, single-purpose materials toward integrated building envelope systems. When sourcing insulation and sheet materials from timber merchants or major suppliers like Travis Perkins, tradespeople should expect stricter specifications around vapor permeability and thermal bridging. While specialized systems such as wood fibre insulation may carry a higher initial material cost compared to standard PIR boards, specifying fully compliant, breathable assemblies reduces the risk of costly call-backs caused by interstitial condensation under stricter inspection regimes.
As the UK moves closer to full FHBS implementation, subcontractors and self-builders must ensure their material selection aligns with overarching performance goals rather than just minimum compliance thresholds. Understanding how insulation, airtightness tapes, and timber framing work together will be essential for passing building control inspections seamlessly.
Reported by Housebuilder & Developer — original article
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