It’s always a good time to think about ways to make your home warmer in winter. And stone built houses need a bit more thought and planning.
Our expert Jon Whitley shares his tips for short and long term ways to make your stone home more energy efficient.
Affordable quick wins:
- Stop drafts and keep heat in with draft excluders, thick curtains or interlined roman blinds.
- Get up into the loft and patch up or increase insulation. Don’t forget the hatch – insulate and, especially, draught proof it.
- Consider fitting secondary glazing film to eliminate window draughts and stop condensation.
- Block up your letter box and replace it with a box outside. Catflaps! You’ll have to use your imagination there!
- Start saving for bigger solutions like replacing single with double or even triple glazing.
Long-term investments:
- If you’ve a problem with condensation, it can be effectively and economically fixed with a heat recovery ventilation unit in the loft. For young children, and asthma sufferers, it can really help with air quality. Also think about insulating those damp patches – the condensation is telling you where the coldest part of the wall is.
- Look at fitting programmable radiator thermostats to control and zone your heating. These can be fitted directly in place of simple screw down thermostat valves without the need for plumbing. Put reflective insulating sheets behind your radiators.
- Invest in renewable sources like solar PV panels, batteries, air or ground source heat pumps. Don’t overlook solar thermal hot water. Look for schemes that might offer financial support – with the increase in energy prices, I’m now hearing of payback periods of just a few years and then it’s all profit!
- Think about internal wall insulation, there are options for stone homes but it’s important they keep the heat in and let moisture out to avoid damp. Many people are afraid of losing room volume but you will soon forget that extra couple of inches and be thankful to be warm and saving heating costs.
- Consider whether you can lose an inch or so of headroom and cover cold floors with PIR insulation overlaid with thin plywood and laminate flooring or carpet.
