Welcome

1Welcome

This edition will be effective for every new home registered with NHBC where foundationsare begun on or after 1 January 2019.

Working with the industry to raise the standard of new homes remains at the core of NHBC’s activities. Our aim is to ensure that our approach to technical risk management adapts to new challenges and leads the way in defining best practice for our sector.

I am delighted that this Standards edition introduces the first major update to Chapter 6.10 ‘Light steel framing’ since it was first published in 2005. At that time, the chapter defined what was considered to be best practice with this, then innovative, building method.

A renewed interest, particularly from the off-site sector, coupled with advancements made by the light steel frame industry, has driven our review and focused our attention on areas where helpful and informative guidance for the appropriate use of this technology is needed.

We have also taken the opportunity to make a number of other amendments to the Standards, including introducing an alternative approach to the timber frame certification process and refining our guidance for hot water flow rates.

As house builders look to a range of technologies to deliver future homes, I hope that this edition of NHBC Standards will continue to serve as a useful reference point, helping to ensure that the next generation of homes are of a high quality and meet the reasonable expectations of homeowners.

If you have any questions or suggestions regarding these Standards, please liaise with your normal NHBC contact; otherwise, I trust you find them helpful in supporting the improvement in quality of new home building.

Steve Wood
Chief Executive Officer