The issue we have is that we have a large supply of housing stock built 80-120 years ago that cannot be efficiently insulated without it costing an obscene amount of money. A lot of these older houses also have no wall cavity, meaning wall insulation can’t be done (without adding thick panels to the inside of every room, making each room smaller).
It’s a tough situation, so I don’t envy the government. Much like our roads, we are massively impeded by the fact that we’re an old country and we tend to not want to knock things down and build from scratch.
A lot of these older houses also have no wall cavity, meaning wall insulation can’t be done (without adding thick panels to the inside of every room, making each room smaller).
Where is this one coming from now?
You can insulate terraced housing perfectly well from the outside. Added benefit is increased aesthetics of such solution.
I live in a conservation area where external insulation will be a hard sell. There’s a lot of such areas around, some a lot more restrictive than where I am.
Not knocking things down and rebuilding is often a problem. People get too caught up in things they can see would be lost (those old buildings which often were beautiful) but fail to see what they are missing: a well insulated building that meets/fits modern needs.
Of course it is expensive to rebuild from scratch so you wouldn’t do it too often, but don’t be afraid to do it either - it should be a great long term investment (paid off in lower HVAC bills, and layouts that are more modern)
The issue we have is that we have a large supply of housing stock built 80-120 years ago that cannot be efficiently insulated without it costing an obscene amount of money. A lot of these older houses also have no wall cavity, meaning wall insulation can’t be done (without adding thick panels to the inside of every room, making each room smaller).
It’s a tough situation, so I don’t envy the government. Much like our roads, we are massively impeded by the fact that we’re an old country and we tend to not want to knock things down and build from scratch.
Where is this one coming from now?
You can insulate terraced housing perfectly well from the outside. Added benefit is increased aesthetics of such solution.
I live in a conservation area where external insulation will be a hard sell. There’s a lot of such areas around, some a lot more restrictive than where I am.
And many more areas which are less restrictive. Your point is?
My point is that not all houses can be insulated externally. In fact, many cannot even if it would be technically viable.
I thought it was pretty obvious but happy to clarify!
Well, nothing can be done for “all houses”. Insulating vast majority of housing which can be insulated externally would be a good start.
Not knocking things down and rebuilding is often a problem. People get too caught up in things they can see would be lost (those old buildings which often were beautiful) but fail to see what they are missing: a well insulated building that meets/fits modern needs.
Of course it is expensive to rebuild from scratch so you wouldn’t do it too often, but don’t be afraid to do it either - it should be a great long term investment (paid off in lower HVAC bills, and layouts that are more modern)