Energy Renovation in Pontault-Combault
In Pontault-Combault, many detached houses were built on the residential estates of the 1970s and 1980s. These homes may today combine several issues: loft insulation that has become inadequate, an ageing gas boiler, extensions built after construction, or ventilation that has not kept pace with changes to the building. GRAM Énergie helps you to take up these elements in a coherent order so as to define a project suited to the house as it exists today. The analysis is not limited to the heating equipment: it also takes account of the envelope, the volumes added, hot water production and air renewal.
Tip: have your energy performance certificate (DPE) and energy bills to hand for a more accurate estimate.
Why renovate your home in Pontault-Combault
In the suburban districts, uninhabited lofts are a frequent point of attention. Their level of insulation can vary considerably depending on the works carried out since construction. A house may also have an attached garage, a conservatory added later or a room created subsequently, without the whole having been designed as a single thermal volume. These alterations change the way heat moves around and can create noticeable differences between the original rooms and the extensions.
Older-generation gas boilers still present in part of the housing stock raise another question: should one start with the heating or with the envelope? The answer depends on the condition of the property. In Pontault-Combault, a well-structured renovation therefore consists in first examining what genuinely separates the heated spaces from the outside, and then reviewing the equipment. More recent blocks of flats call for a different approach, particularly where some of the installations depend on the co-ownership.
In houses with uninhabited lofts and successive extensions, the envelope has to be read again as a whole.
Our services in Pontault-Combault
Global energy renovation
A global energy renovation makes it possible to bring several items together within a single line of thinking. It can combine insulation, heating, ventilation, hot water and controls, so that a choice made today does not limit a future improvement. This approach is useful in suburban houses altered over time, particularly where a garage, a conservatory or a new room has changed the original thermal behaviour of the house.
Heat pump
A heat pump can be considered when an old boiler is replaced, but how suitable it is depends on the property. Insulation, heat losses, existing radiators, the position of the outdoor unit and the arrangement of the rooms must be checked before the equipment is chosen. A house extended over the years may call for a more detailed analysis than a home that has remained in its original configuration.
Insulation
Addinginsulation concerns in particular uninhabited lofts, walls and the junctions between the different parts of the building. A more recent extension may be better insulated than the main house, or the other way round. The challenge is then to spot the breaks in the thermal envelope and to determine the surfaces where an intervention brings a coherent improvement at the scale of the property.
Thermodynamic water heater
The thermodynamic water heater is one possible solution for producing domestic hot water where its siting is compatible with the property. A garage, a utility room or another suitable space can sometimes offer the necessary conditions. The space available, the way the appliance works and how it fits with the other equipment planned for the project must nevertheless be examined.
Energy audit
Anenergy audit makes it possible to take a fresh look at the various alterations carried out in a house. It may reveal that part of the building has been improved while another item remains poorly performing. This reading is useful for building several scenarios and for avoiding concentrating the budget on a piece of equipment while the envelope still has significant weaknesses.
Mechanical ventilation (VMC)
Mechanical ventilation must be examined where a home has been extended or where certain rooms have changed use. A conservatory brought into the heated volume, a former outbuilding turned into a living room, or replaced window frames can all alter air movement. The ventilation must therefore be adapted to the current configuration of the property and not solely to the original layout.
Smart thermostat
A smart thermostat can make it easier to manage heating periods in a house with several zones of use. It can in particular accommodate different patterns of occupancy between the living room, the bedrooms or an extension. Its installation must nevertheless remain compatible with the existing heating system and form part of a wider consideration of controls and of the requirements of each part of the property.
Typical projects in Pontault-Combault
1970s suburban house with an uninhabited loft
the project can begin with an examination of the roof and the walls before reviewing an ageing gas boiler. This sequence makes it possible to take account of the future heating requirements once the envelope has been improved.
House with a garage converted into a living room
the level of insulation of the new space may differ considerably from that of the rest of the house. The dividing walls, the floor, the ventilation and the heating of this area must be studied together with the building as a whole.
Suburban house with an added conservatory
depending on how it is used, the conservatory can alter heat exchange with the adjoining living room. The project must distinguish the volumes that are genuinely heated and check the junctions between the original construction and the extension.
Financial support for your works in Pontault-Combault
MaPrimeRénov’ (the French state renovation grant), the CEE (energy saving certificates funded by energy suppliers), reduced-rate TVA (French VAT) and the éco-PTZ (an interest-free renovation loan) can be examined according to the works envisaged and the situation of the property. The criteria that apply differ from one scheme to another and must be checked against the project chosen. To set out the characteristics of your house and the items you would like to improve, use the contact form. The French public service France Rénov’ lists the schemes currently in force.
Support schemes are assessed according to the type of property and the works planned.
How we work
Reconstructing the property as it is today
we take account of the original construction and of any extensions or alterations.
Locating the thermal differences
the loft, walls, floors and junction areas are examined according to their role in the envelope.
Analysing the equipment
heating, hot water, ventilation and controls are studied in relation to current requirements.
Defining an order of works
the interventions are organised so as to keep a logic between reducing requirements and choosing equipment.
Carrying out the agreed project
the selected solutions are implemented within the defined scope.
We also work throughout the rest of Seine-et-Marne
You can also find our pages devoted to energy renovation in Savigny-le-Temple, Torcy and Villeparisis. For our approach across the wider area, visit the page energy renovation in Seine-et-Marne.
Frequently asked questions
Should a conservatory be included in the energy assessment of the house?
Yes, where it directly affects a heated space or is itself used as a living room. Its design, its glazing and the way it is separated from the house can alter heat exchange. Its actual use and its integration into the building must therefore be examined before the works are decided.
How should a garage that has become a living room be dealt with?
It is necessary to check whether its insulation now matches its new use. The walls, the floor, the ceiling, the openings and the ventilation may require a specific analysis. The heating of this room must then be considered together with the rest of the installation, so as to avoid a space that is thermally very different from the main home.
Can a house built in the 1980s still have inadequately insulated lofts?
Yes, because the level of insulation depends on the original design but also on the works carried out since. Materials may have been added, moved or topped up only in part. Checking the current condition of the loft shows whether it genuinely needs to be included in the renovation programme.
Does replacing a gas boiler mean a heat pump has to be chosen?
No. The choice of the future heating system depends on the characteristics of the building, the existing emitters, the requirements after the works and the installation constraints. A heat pump is one of the possible solutions, but it must be weighed against the actual context of the house before any decision is taken.
How should a house be managed where each extension has been renovated differently?
The property must first be considered as a single whole. The study compares the performance of the different areas, any heating systems they have and the junctions between them. This makes it possible to spot the imbalances between older and more recent parts, and then to define works that improve overall coherence.
If you are preparing an energy renovation in Pontault-Combault, send us the details of your house, any extensions and its current equipment through the contact form. GRAM Énergie can then examine the various items of the project and propose an approach suited to the configuration of the property.
Let’s talk about your project
Tell us about your home and your goals: we help you prioritise the works and identify the grants worth looking into.