Sustainability
Round or Slimline Tanks?
These days many states require you to have rainwater storage , unless you have access to recyled water. But which type of tank will be best In addition to the standard round tanks there are a whole range of alternative…
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Rainwater Tank Problems
Rainwater Tanks aren’t always trouble free, so here is some advice on a couple of problems that you can encounter. Cleaning Even with pre-filters there will eventually be a build up of dirt and cloudy water at the bottom of…
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Insulation Basics – Ventilation
A significant factor in the comfort of you house is the ‘Ventilation Rate’. No one likes cold draughts in winter.. . . and hot air creeping in during summer can be equally unwelcoming. So how do you calculate heat losses…
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Insulation Basics – Reflective Finishes
There are a number of insulation products with reflective surfaces now available but how do they work? Why do the instructions tell you to put the more reflective surface on the underside rather that the top? Here is some information…
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Buffer Zones
Planning a house layout? or considering builders standard layouts? Thinking about buffer zones when you are will save you on heating and cooling costs. So what are buffer zones? Buffer Zones are basically rooms and spaces that may be heated…
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Insulation Basics – Weather Effects
When you are considering how much heat you will gain in summer, or lose in winter its not just the outside temperature you need to think about. It’s actually the surface temperature of the outside wall, or window as it…
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Insulation Basics – Double Glazing
Large single glazed windows are one of the biggest reasons for heat loss in a modern house. It is also a major source of heat coming into the house in summer. So what can you do?……………here is a comparison between…
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Insulation Basics – Vapor Barriers
When you are thinking about installing insulation you also need to think about Vapour Barriers. Although I frequently saw mention of vapor barriers in books and articles it was a long time before I understood why there were needed……………. Here…
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West, or East, Facing Windows
Well the first rule is to avoid West, or East, facing windows . . . or at least keep them as small as possible….and here is why: Summer West windows get direct sunlight from mid-afternoon to late in the evening…
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Rooms over Garage
Will your new house have a bedroom above the garage? If so you should check what the builder specifies in the way of Insulation between the garage and the room floor. Although regulations quite often specify insulation on external walls…
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