I have been interested in green living for a long time : we avoid plastic and packaging, buy local, grow our own fruit and veg, keep chickens... but then 11 years ago we moved into a Georgian farmhouse and all those minor lifestyle choices became drowned out by our beautiful fossil-fuel-hungry home!
Owners of old buildings tend to put up with a lot from their idiosyncratic and difficult OABs (old age buildings). However, I’m sure the fuel crisis and rising energy bills will focus a lot of us to look at what can be done to upgrade our old homes.
First principles of reducing your carbon impact are Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. So the first thing I did was pat myself on the back for adopting an OAB ;-)
The next thing to know is that anything built before 1930 is constructed using completely different building physics to newer homes and must be repaired, maintained and upgraded using the same old materials and techniques. What is right for a modern house will actually speed the decline of your lovely old home.
And lastly, but importantly, think about the way your house would have been used when it was built. One bath for the whole family once a week? Fire in the stove burning 24/7? Our house is 230 years old and certainly wasn’t designed for the way we live today. Some compromises will be necessary.....
It's not about wrapping your house in sheep wool, or bolting on solar panels. The right strategy is to investigate, repair and then retrofit. Having gone through this process on my own Grade 2 listed property, I have a deep understanding of the complexities of working with, and living in, an old home. Get in touch if you would like to talk to us about upgrading your property.
Owners of old buildings tend to put up with a lot from their idiosyncratic and difficult OABs (old age buildings). However, I’m sure the fuel crisis and rising energy bills will focus a lot of us to look at what can be done to upgrade our old homes.
First principles of reducing your carbon impact are Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. So the first thing I did was pat myself on the back for adopting an OAB ;-)
The next thing to know is that anything built before 1930 is constructed using completely different building physics to newer homes and must be repaired, maintained and upgraded using the same old materials and techniques. What is right for a modern house will actually speed the decline of your lovely old home.
And lastly, but importantly, think about the way your house would have been used when it was built. One bath for the whole family once a week? Fire in the stove burning 24/7? Our house is 230 years old and certainly wasn’t designed for the way we live today. Some compromises will be necessary.....
It's not about wrapping your house in sheep wool, or bolting on solar panels. The right strategy is to investigate, repair and then retrofit. Having gone through this process on my own Grade 2 listed property, I have a deep understanding of the complexities of working with, and living in, an old home. Get in touch if you would like to talk to us about upgrading your property.
