Of course, your priorities can vary depending on your needs and the type of property.
When it comes to period homes, the most important factor that one needs to take into account is the health and condition of the building. This is particularly important for a heritage home, partly because of the need to protect its history, inherent cultural value and character. Also, old buildings are complex and sensitive to changes that come with improvements, giving you some serious consequences.
However, whether you’re choosing an ASHP installation, biomass boilers or are going for a simple insulation to make your property energy efficient, choose an option based on your building’s health. You could also ask a professional air source heat pump installation company to help you with the best solutions.
If you’re planning to insulate your period home, then here are some tips to take into consideration.
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1. Study The Building Structure
The most crucial factor to consider before making any insulation to your period homes is to understand the building's structure.
This is because the homes that were built before in the early 1900's have a traditional construction. The walls are made of permeable materials. Moreover, they do not have any vapour barriers or damp proof membranes, instead, they manage moisture in a different way that is through absorption and evaporation.
Therefore, while you undertake the insulation process in your period home, ensure that it’s being done in a way that enables the building’s fabric to breathe.
2. Evaluate The Entire House
Old period houses often carry with them several issues that might collectively result in the home being cold.
Now, while it can be tempting to look at insulation as a standalone issue and solution for the cold temperatures in your period house, it can be much more than that. This is why you should assess the entire house before coming to any conclusions.
For a successful result, you should look at all the possible reasons that might cause inefficiency in insulation. First of all, you should ensure that the property is free of moisture and well maintained. This is because a damp structure will significantly lose more heat while adding risk to the health of both the building and its residents.
Secondly, you need to check the house for any draughts. This can also be the reason why you’re losing heat and needs to be addressed while adding a layer of insulation.
3. Go Roof And Floor Insulation
The most important and easy way to insulate period homes is by using the roof of the property. All you have to do is simply lay the insulation material on the floor of the loft and ensure you maintain a good ventilation of the roof space above the insulation.
You should also take care of the insulation material you are using, as it can be a game changer.
Similarly, the floor is the element of the building which you are most in contact with, so adding insulation here can also have an immediate impact on the comfort level you are trying to achieve. However, historic solid floors should not be disturbed so as to retain their character and past value.
In many cases, solid floors have been replaced over the years with concrete versions. You could remove and replace it with a breathable insulated alternative that can help with the temperature of the house but this is a specialist job and should be only done by experts.
Summing Up
When it comes to heating solutions, there are many options available on the market for you to choose from. There have been talks about the success of ASHP installations, a heating solution that converts air from the outside to bring heat into your houses.
This modern-day heating system can save money on your energy bills, give you consistent heating and are easy to install – what more do you want?
Begin by understanding your needs, the structure of your building and your budget to come to an educated decision. Remember to call the experts for this job, they will know what to do.
*Collaborative post
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