According to Actis, the red heat warning issued for parts of England and Wales this week is another reminder of the importance of constructing buildings which remain cool in summer.
The warning from the Met Office and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) means the temperatures, forecast to hit 40 degrees in some areas, will have a population-wide impact on health and could lead to serious illness and a danger to life.
Night-time temperatures are predicted to be ‘tropical’ with minimum temperatures of 21 or 22 degrees in some areas.
This is the second time a red extreme heat weather warning has been triggered. The first was in July 2022 when the UK experienced its highest ever recorded temperature of 40.3C in Coningsby in Lincolnshire.
Under Part O of the building regulations, Actis said architects need to find ways to limit unwanted solar gains and provide a way to remove heat from residential dwellings. As well as strategically siting windows in new builds and drawing curtains, the company noted that installing reflective insulation can help ensure a building remains at a comfortable temperature.
Mark Cooper, Actis UK and Ireland sales director, said: “There are obviously many factors involved in ensuring a home remains cool in the summer as well as warm in the winter. Using reflective insulation blankets which reduce radiant heat gain and ensure year-round comfort – not just winter warmth – is one of those.
“Our reflective insulation products, insulating vapour control layers and insulating breather membranes, which include our two-in-one Eolis HC, reflect an impressive 94% of infrared radiation.
“They are exceptionally effective at preventing overheating in loft conversions – areas that can otherwise become uncomfortably warm and difficult to use during high summer – creating a consistently cool, calm, and genuinely habitable space throughout the hottest months.”
