How to make an old home more energy efficient
Older houses are just bursting with character and ooze history. Thousands of people love the challenge of renovating old properties and restoring them to their former glory. High ceilings, flagstone floors and huge hallways are always sought-after features.
However, the reality of living in an old home is very different to the dream. These houses were not built to modern building regulations. They do not have efficient insulation and can be very cold and draughty.
According to the experts at the Energy Saving Trust, draught-proofing homes can go a long way to help you cut down on your energy bills.
Here are some more tips on how you can save energy costs in an old home.
Switch the old Rayburn
A Rayburn stove is a nice period feature in many old homes but it is simply not the most efficient way of keeping the house warm. It would be better to have a modern gas boiler for the central heating and use a wood-burning stove to give the house a cosy atmosphere.
When you need help with a boiler service Bristol has a range of experts who can help such as https://www.bristolboilerservice.co.uk/bristol-boilers/boiler-service-bristol. They can even advise you about back boilers on wood burning stoves which can assist with the central heating.
Be careful about insulation
Whilst insulating your home may seem like the obvious answer, you have to be very careful about how you insulate an old house. Old houses were constructed in a way that means that they need to ‘breathe’. This lets moist air escape from the house. If you simply add a layer of insulation on the walls, it will stop this process and result in condensation and mould. A more sensible option is to use thermostats to make sure that you only heat the parts of the house that you need to. Always use natural building materials that are sympathetic to the original design. You may find that heavy curtains and traditional shutters are preferable to double glazing.
Often the simple things can help a lot. Fabric draught excluders fitted to letterboxes and doors actually work very well. Simply moving heavy furniture away from radiators is also very helpful. If there are any broken panes of glass, mend them and fill in the gaps in wooden panelling.
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