Many people like to build their own houses. This is very attractive financially as the cost of land and materials can be a lot less than the cost of a finished house. Self building has become more difficult due to
Building Your Own Home
LED Lights
The brightness of an electric light is measured in lumens. A 60 watt incandescent light bulb has a brightness of 800 lumens. The efficiency of an electric light is measured in lumens per watt. Incandescent light bulbs have an efficiency
Smart Heating Systems
The central heating in my shared house is controlled by a white plastic box on the wall. This winter it broke down. I spent several hours downloading the 20 page manual from the internet and reading it. So far I
Is Insulation Safe?
We’ve known about the kind of problems that happened at Grenfell Tower for years, so why has no one done anything about it? Some insulation companies have tried to do something about it, and much of the insulation used today
Spray Foam Insulation
The advantages of spray foam insulation. Icynene is a form of spray foam insulation. The thermal conductivity of the insulation is about the same as mineral wool. It has the advantage of making the building very air tight. Because of
Sheep’s Wool Insulation
What are the pros and cons of Sheep’s wool insulation? Sheep’s wool insulation is made into rolls and slabs very similar to those made from fibreglass and mineral wool insulation. Rolls of insulation are generally used above flat ceilings
What Do I Think of The Green Deal?
The idea of the Green Deal was that people would borrow money from their gas or electricity companies to insulate their house and replace their old central heating system and windows. This money would be paid back over 25 years
Condensing Boilers – Right or Wrong?
Natural gas contains a large amount of hydrogen. When hydrogen burns it becomes water. In a hot gas boiler when the hydrogen burns it will change into steam. In a condensing boiler this steam is made to condense on a
Underfloor Heating. Right or Wrong?
Some of my customers really like underfloor heating but I, as an energy assessor, always have a slight feeling of panic whenever I see it. Why is this? Underfloor heating avoids the need for bulky radiators on the wall and