Maintenance Matters
Rhyd-y-car Terrace in St Fagans Museum of Welsh Life For those, who have not been to St Fagans in Cardiff, it is worth the trip. Great place and an ideal way to start to understand how buildings have changed over …
Tag: materials
Beware the “Damp Meter”
This is the tool of choice for damp proofing companies https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Feuchtemesser.jpg The Protimeter is pretty much ubiquitous in the damp and building surveying world. The meter is used to show owners how damp their homes are. This is also invariably …
Forget Energy Efficiency think Health!
Readers of this blog will know my views on lots of the energy driven ‘improvements’ that we are blindly doing in the UK at the moment. We are making so many mistakes due to the fact that we are using …
New eco-products give hope!
The Dutch Postcode Lottery and Cradle to Cradle competitions have had some amazing finalists this year. The winner this year’s Postcode Lottery Green Challenge was BioMason’s CO2-free brick production process, which uses bacteria to ‘grow’ bricks! Can’t wait to see these around, especially given …
Inside out: the wrong way round
When we move into a new house we tend to do two things: 1. Complete the work detailed in the mortgage agreement (this tends to be things like damp proof courses, underpinning, roof repairs); 2. Decorate in order to make …
Are ‘Eco’ paints all the same?
The simple answer is No! Unfortunately ‘Green’ paint can be full of ‘green wash’. Some paints are seen as eco, just because they are water based. Others are labelled as green because they have reduced the energy used in the …
Green Deal Launch
This is the headline diagram that the Gov wants people to see. On the face of it, it looks great. Same bills, but a more efficient home, all with no up-front capital expense. Personally I think that this can the …
Eco Smart Materials database
Kingston University has been busy collating information on materials, especially those that have a bit of a sustainability agenda – new uses for old materials, new materials made from waste, etc. A bit of an all rounder really, so not …
What is a sustainable kitchen?
Kitchens are one of the focal points of any home. This allows people to ‘show-off’ their eco credentials during dinner parties and such-like. Oh, how Guardian reader-ish. But seriously, having a well designed kitchen that will last a long time …
Barn conversions and the system
Wales is home to a large number of barn conversions. The old stone barns look really attractive in their rural setting and the materials used create the local vernacular. The old stone walls are the main feature of the barns …