A vital part of keeping your home warm

Where


Insulation can be fitted above, below and around your house.
The easiest is the attic. Below the floor is a simple win if you have access, and on the inside or outside of your walls is the other place. Sadly when it comes to real homes it’s often not quite as easy as it sounds; there are, however, more creative solutions and more products that work in sympathy with the original building. It is clear that better insulation can increase comfort and reduce bills.

What


The two big questions are – is the insulation breathable or not (both have a place) and what is the environmental impact of the material itself – to produce, to dispose of and against its lifespan. (sustainable, natural products are becoming more common and performance data is available)

Who


This is very challenging at present, especially when linked to the question of funding ….. but if the government is to meet its carbon reduction targets, changes will have to occur. There are larger corporate companies available, often with specialised products and skilled local tradespeople. Funders set criteria for installers but the lack of approved installers in this area means there needs to be an easier pathway to use our local installers, and still access funding.

How

The questions above often lead to several options, so the final part of the equation relates to cost and funding. There is considerable funding available, some means tested, some non means tested, some related to the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) of the building, and some has constraints on who can be used to install (see above).

Summary


More insulation is nearly always a good answer
Solutions need to be designed specifically for your property
The funding and installer process can be a challenge
If you have explored this and come up with a blank it may be worth another look – Warm Connections are here to help.

We remember an energy adviser coming to visit us during our first cold winter in our house; he had lots of helpful advice – all very useful but he was not satisfied; I think he realized we were not really curtain people, and spent a while enthusing about how much curtains help to keep a room warm; so, reluctantly we committed to using and improving our curtains. What a difference it made to the temperature of the house….a win-win situation, as we can keep the house warmer, bring our energy bills down AND help the environment, all at the same time. Even better, it’s probably the lowest effort, highest benefit thing which we have done at home, so we can’t help encouraging others. 

 

Windows (even double-glazed) form a cold surface, so warmer air inside will cool wherever it contacts the glass. Heat also radiates through glass and is lost from the room. Finally, if the window frames are draughty there is even better reason to close your blinds or curtains.

So, how do I maximise the benefits of curtains and blinds?

1. Use thermal curtains / blinds as much as possible, or secondary thermal curtains are available which attach to the same rail but just behind the curtains themselves. Just like clothes – layers are good and trapped air also works well.
2. Make sure there is as little gap as possible between the curtains and the window sill. If possible, minimising or removing the gaps at the side of the curtains, and reaching the ground will also help.
3. If the curtains cover your radiators, either shorten them or tuck them up onto the window sill to allow the heat from the radiator into the room.
4. Close curtains / blinds as it’s getting dark, aiming to beat that rapid temperature drop which we have all felt as the sun drops but it’s not yet dark.

Don’t forget to open your curtains again to allow sunlight (and therefore warmth) in, particularly on south- facing windows. And having said all this, if it does get hot this summer we may find ourselves closing curtains to keep some of the cool in. Hard to imagine as we write this article on another chilly June day!

 

People often ask “are curtains or blinds better”? Perhaps two better questions would be firstly, “How is the draught being stopped?” Curtains often use pleats to press against the wall beside the window, hence reducing draughts, and blinds can run down tracks at the edges to stop draughts.  And secondly “How effective is the thermal barrier?” Curtains maximise the barrier using lining and quilting, whilst blinds frequently use reflective foil and air gaps between layers to form a barrier to reduce heat loss. 

 

Lastly – let’s not forget the humble shutter. If you are fortunate enough to have shutters in your home it is well worth using them, as they make a really effective first line of defense. 

 

The following links may be useful:
Second Hand: Buying second hand is always good for the environment and our pockets. Our Thrift Shop often has curtains for sale, as does Remake in Crieff – https://remakescotland.co.uk. 

Secondary Curtains: Dunelm – https://www.dunelm.com/search?q=curtain+thermal+linings

Thermal Blinds: https://www.blinds-2go.co.uk/energy-saving-thermal-blinds.htm

And with side sliders which form an even tighter seal – https://www.blinds-2go.co.uk/perfect-fit 

Velux Options: Blinds – https://www.veluxblindsdirect.co.uk/product/velux-blinds/energy-blinds

Shutters: https://www.veluxblindsdirect.co.uk/product/velux-blinds/roller-shutters

One of the big challenges of making a house warmer with insulation and/or draught proofing (both of which make a house more airtight) is that by reducing draughts we have the potential to trap moisture, particulate matter and chemicals in the house, and actually cause problems to the house and/or our health. Before we go any further let’s begin by saying that we are not advocating over-warm houses – there is lots to be said for living on the cool side. Secondly we are not saying don’t do anything other than putting an extra jumper on. What we want is comfortable, healthy houses with affordable bills.

 

Houses breathe in three ways:

• Through deliberate gaps where air can flow, eg an open window, where we can choose to close it
• Through unintended gaps around pipes as the enter or leave a building, and gaps left in the building process
• Buildings also breathe through their surfaces – moisture particularly moves through older walls 

The benefits of draughts and walls breathing in a house:

• The air is continually changing in the house, stale air is replaced keeping air quality is high and moisture being produced in the house should escape naturally
• The walls themselves may absorb and return both and moisture and warmth to the house

The negatives of draughts in a house: 

• The house will cool down quicker than for an equivalent, less draughty building 
• The cost of heating and maintaining a given temperature will be higher than for an equivalent, less draughty building 
• Draughts cause people to feel colder  
• If the house or some rooms are under-heated moisture may build up on and in colder walls 

The benefits of adequate, controlled ventilation: 

• Air quality is improved and humidity is reduced
• Heat loss is reduced and therefore heating costs are lower
• The fabric of the building is protected
• Heath of occupants is better 

The negatives of houses with inadequate ventilation:

• Possibly poor air quality – this includes particulate matter in the air and chemicals being released from the fabric and contents of the house
• Moisture from washing, cooking and living can condense on cooler surfaces and cause damp and mould. Moisture can get into the walls and become trapped within the walls
• Occupants’ health can be impacted
• Dampness in insulation can reduce its effectiveness
• Timber and other materials can be damaged by the damp

Monitoring

Relatively cheap moisture meters are available, designed to test walls and timbers for moisture content. You can buy meters which read the humidity of the air in a room. Checking the air quality is a more expensive challenge. 

 

Draught proofing 

Sealing gaps in the fabric of the house will reduce draughts, flexible fillers are great for holes and spaces around pipes or in the fabric and brushes and draught stripes are ideal for sealing doors and windows which need to be opened and shut.

 

Insulation

Synthetic insulation is often (but not always) non-breathable, whilst many natural materials are used to create more breathable insulation products. Care is required if additional insulation is being added to avoid creating problems with damp in the future. 

• Internal wall insulation:
  • Moisture impervious insulation needs to be installed with an air space behind it, ensuring that the wall can still breathe – the air and moisture in the room needs a way to be removed .
  • Breathable insulation can be attached directly to the wall and will allow the wall the breathe as designed. Care is needed that the plaster and paint also encourage breathability
  • Loft insulation – if the ceiling is insulated care must be taken to ensure there is still ventilation in the loft
  • Suspended floor insulation – ensuring the void below is dry and has good air flow is essential There should be air bricks, which should be checked to ensure they are not blocked or covered. 

Ventilation

• Windows are now built with trickle vents, which allow air flow
• Doors – internal doors usually have a space below to allow air to circulate in a house. Under door draught excluders will reduce this though monitoring moisture levels in rooms and checking cold surfaces for damp is a wise precaution if you are reducing airflow, especially if your rooms are not all equally warm.
• Extractor fans in bathrooms and kitchens can help remove moisture and by pushing air out of a house can also encourage fresh air to be drawn in, improving indoor air quality. Many houses now have low power extractor fans designed to run continuously.
• Mechanical heat recovery – a ventilation system which recovers some of the heat from the air being expelled and pre-warms the replacement air. Available as a whole house system or for a single room and easily retrofitted using the hole from a pre-existing extraction fan
• Smart ventilation – can monitor air in a room or below a suspended floor. The vents can open or close automatically as needed. Available as passive systems or powered providing mechanical ventilation if required. By closing the vents when air quality is good, heat loss is reduced.