Constantly evolving, Eco Tiffin, a building and surveying business, has its sights on the garden centre market to bring its Air Drain to a new audience.

With origins dating back to 1695, Eco Tiffin Ltd has developed on generations of practical building knowledge, craftsmanship and invention. Across more than five centuries, the Tiffin name has evolved alongside the built environment itself – adapting skills, services and thinking as buildings, materials and environmental pressures have changed, especially with the onset of climate change.

Under the leadership of Director Robert Tiffin, the business has made a decisive shift toward sustainable, evidence-led building performance, conservation and retrofit.

With increasing challenges from heavy rain and flash floods, Robert’s invention of the Air Drain, and understanding of how it will benefit the gardening and landscape sector, is an example of the company’s commitment to facing climate change head on and desire to seize the opportunity to promote its product to a wider audience.

“We launched the Air Drain last year. Surveyors, architects and engineers love it and

can’t understand why it has not been invented before;’ says Robert.

Seeing the invisible

Robert invented the Air Drain in direct response to the recurring ground-level moisture problems on housing stock identified through thermographic surveys. Across hundreds of thermographic surveys, ground-level moisture and cold bridging, often linked to raised external ground levels and restricted evaporation at the base of walls, was a recurring cause and commonly misdiagnosed as rising damp.

Conventional damp solutions frequently failed because they treated internal symptoms, not the external source of wetting.

Crucially as the effects of climate change bring about heavier and more frequent rains and flash flooding, higher ground moisture levels and splash back from paving and garden borders onto property walls, will only increase. This along with no drying potential and greater temperature differences are placing growing pressure on older and traditionally built homes.

Problems that were once intermittent are now persistent, leading to damp, mould and reduced thermal performance.

“Climate change is exposing weaknesses in buildings that were never designed for today’s conditions. Understanding this and the identification of the causes of damp related defects is ‘key’ to your home surviving another 100 years, and remaining warm and comfy,” says Robert.

Air Drain is a patented, passive moisture management system designed to encourage natural evaporation at the base of external walls, helping masonry remain dry, warmer and more resilient. The system complies with BS 6576 – the British Standard for the control of rising damp and works by removing the source of wetting from the structure and increasing ventilation. This approach addresses the cause of moisture ingress rather than masking its effects internally.

“The key;’ says Robert, “is that Air Drain stops bridging between the property, its damp proof course and its garden. “It removes the source of wetting- not just the symptoms.”

Eco Tiffin’s data records an average 20% reduction in damp readings in the first six weeks of installation, and a steady drop thereafter. Crucially, Air Drain differs from a traditional French drain as it does not allow naturally evaporation via diffusion from the masonry. Instead, it works with the existing structure, preserving stability while allowing moisture evaporation and thermal performance.

Builders, architects and surveyors already agree on the benefits of the Air Drain and recommended as general good practice. Eco Tiffin’s route to these areas of expertise is already established but its benefits to gardeners, either those taking on their own projects or employing professional landscapers, has great potential.

Additionally, Air Drain is easy to install and gives designers greater freedom to create gardens with borders and patios to the same level as that of the house while still protecting the fabric of the building.

Robert has spoken to several garden centres, all of which can see the benefit to the retail sector and customers. A working model could be having a demonstration area within a garden centre and passing orders directly through to Eco Tiffin for delivery. He also sees potential in stocking Air Drain alongside paving and hard landscaping for customers considering paving up to the walls of their homes.

“In today’s world we see the link and the necessity of the Air Drain. Not just to benefit the building but to also benefit the gardens around us;’ says Robert.

The Air Drain has 3 standard colours, but can be finished in any RAL colour.

To discuss stocking Air Drain or for more information visit: 

www.ecotiffin.co.uk

email: enquires@ecotiffin.co.uk

phone: 01442 819332