For anyone involved in the world of building or DIY we are always being told that solid walled houses are really bad insulators. Certainly compared to modern theoretical standards of building the computer programmes tell us that old solid walls …
I really cannot express the amount to which I mistrust Drylining. I would not recommend anyone to undertake this exercise as it can be a real death nail to any house. What dry lining does is cover up the problems …
Underfloor heating has a range of advantages, some of which are obvious, others less so. It can also be powered by two main sources of energy – electric or hot water. We shall focus on the hot water systems here …
Thinking about underfloor heating? What are the pros and cons? Read more »
There are a variety of claims made about Insulating Paint. When you read the labels there is ‘scientific’ proof that it can save you ‘up to 25%’ on your heating needs. Now this obviously has to have a grain of …
There are a range of issues with insulation and a major overlooked factor is decrement. Insulation values are normally measured in U (the lower the U value the better the insulative properties). This measures the thermal resistance of products from …
Old floorboards were natural draughty. When they were installed we didn’t have tongue and groove flooring and the boards were not always particularly straight. Time, wear and tear, moisture content changes in the home etc have all contributed their little …
When we think about energy efficiency one of the first things that we look at (or through) are our windows. This is actually a really expensive option for improving energy efficiency compared to its return. We generally only lose around …
Many old houses were designed with suspended timber floors. These were designed into houses to keep them dry (at the expense of draughts). The timber joists and floor boards were vented underneath at the front and back of the house …
Old houses are seen as being a real problem with regards to carbon emissions. Their walls are seen as being really inefficient and difficult to treat. When we use computer programmes to calculate how efficient our homes are we use …
