Even though I only refurb and renovate period houses using mainly traditional materials and techniques I am not by any measure a purist as living in a museum wouldn't be much fun ( living by candle light has a limited appeal as I once found out). Modern kitchens and bathrooms are a must although the modern effect is easily mitigated by the use of complimentary materials. A project in the planning stage at the moment is another solid walled house which even after extending will be of rather modest size and so any space saved will be welcomed. With rising energy costs being a constant factor that needs to be addressed at the planning stage, insulation is a crucial element of any build. Studding out a wall and filling with anything from foam to wool is the usual way to make an old building more thermally efficient with the drawback however of diminished room volume, a problem when space is at a premium. For the next project I am looking at a material that is a spin off from the space programme. Aerogel not only is super thermally efficient but it also looks pretty amazing too.....I'm easily impressed!
Thursday, 9 February 2012
Space age
Even though I only refurb and renovate period houses using mainly traditional materials and techniques I am not by any measure a purist as living in a museum wouldn't be much fun ( living by candle light has a limited appeal as I once found out). Modern kitchens and bathrooms are a must although the modern effect is easily mitigated by the use of complimentary materials. A project in the planning stage at the moment is another solid walled house which even after extending will be of rather modest size and so any space saved will be welcomed. With rising energy costs being a constant factor that needs to be addressed at the planning stage, insulation is a crucial element of any build. Studding out a wall and filling with anything from foam to wool is the usual way to make an old building more thermally efficient with the drawback however of diminished room volume, a problem when space is at a premium. For the next project I am looking at a material that is a spin off from the space programme. Aerogel not only is super thermally efficient but it also looks pretty amazing too.....I'm easily impressed!
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9 comments:
Any good for boatbuilding?
james...its such a new product I think its applications are as yet unknown.
Wow, marvellous stuff, and no, I'd never heard of it at all!
We spent years in the eighties, trying to get useres to specify twin metal panels, filled with 'foam'!
It eventually became a normal product, but we were right up front, despite the BRE interfering, and also the insurance companies being as obdurate as they could.
Great Post Thud, I love seeing items like this!
And people decry space exploration as a waste of money ?
Our house has had cavity insulation. (Before we arrived)
A disaster. Great heat savings but terrible condensation. I've had to fit venting everywhere which kind of defeats the object of insulating the house in the first place.
Scrobs.... new tech when it works is a boon.
Kev....home heat recovery units for ventilation are expensive but are becoming more affordable now.
Save a few bob and insulate the cavities with all your sci-fi books you've got upstairs ,dont mention anything to my missus or she'll be ferrying lorry loads of comics to help out.
Wow, this also looks like it would make cool jewelery, very space-age
Nifty! Do you spray it, roll it out, or does it come in thin sheets?
I am susceptible, too. That Aerogel is really cool and looks like moonstone or sommat. sounds like a sensible solution to minimizing space loss and maximizing insulaton.
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