Insulation

This topic could go anywahere in ENERGY, so I decided to split it out as a separate item.

To reduce energy usage (usually for heating or cooling the home), it's a good idea to insulate the building 'envelope' (walls, floor, ceiling) to reduce the amount of heat or cold passing through it. Doing so reduces wastes of energy.

This is a typical brick veneer house with almost no insulation in the walls and some blown in fibre in the attic space. Nothing much one can do about the walls as a retro-fit, at least not without a lot of mess and expense.

The windows are also a consieration, we have about 21 big windows in the house without double glazing. The double glazing would be just too cost prohibitive considering the payback. Given the amount of time, effort and money we've put into sustainability elsewhere in the home, we've drawn the line here. Next time we move, it will be to a building with a more naturally energy efficiency envelope.

Here's what we HAVE done:

• Install reflective concertina foil batts in the ceilings to reflect the radiant heat from the roof tiles on a hot day. They seem to have significantly reduced the heat coming through to the bedrooms.
• Install reflective foil window blinds in the upstairs westerly facing windows. These stop most of the sun's heat whilst still allowing a limited view through the glass. Did get a picture of them since we only put them up in late Dec.
• Install draftproofing strips around all external doors.
• Place draft stopping 'sausages' along the bottom of every external door.
• Install 'DraftStoppa' covers for the extraction fans in the bathrooms. These stop air (hot or cold) venting into the bathroom through the fans when they are off.
• Installed white blinds to all upstairs windows to reflect the incoming heat.

Concertina foil batts in the attic (dirty job that one . . .)

White blinds on upstairs windows