Old House Eco Handbook: A Practical Guide to Retrofitting for Energy-Efficiency & Sustainability

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Retrofitting should be an holistic process and, for this to happen, it’s essential to know the eventual goal and have a plan or ‘roadmap’. This will enable the most appropriate measures to be selected and their interrelationship with one another to be better understood, even if they’re introduced over an extended period of time as funds and opportunities present themselves. If planning is inadequate, conflicts may occur and work might have to be undone to accommodate future phases of work or to rectify problems.

One useful tool, which helps understand these relationships better, is the responsible retrofit guidance wheel developed by the Sustainable Traditional Buildings Alliance (STBA). This depicts a range of measures and encourages exploration of the advantages, concerns and interactions that result. Marianne Suhr is a Chartered Building Surveyor specialising in the repair of historic buildings. After a scholarship with the SPAB, she worked for seven years in architectural practice, then full-time on hands-on repair projects including three very different old houses. For the SPAB she has run over 40 homeowners’ courses and numerous ‘limedays’. She is co-author (with Roger Hunt) of Old House Handbook, and has written and lectured extensively. A co-presenter of three series of BBC2’s Restoration, she recently set up the Old House Consultancy, advising on repairs and alterations in the Oxfordshire locality. Don't rush in. Live in an old building for a year, through each of the seasons, to really understand the damp and the light. That will also help with your interior decoration. I’m passionate about trying to make buildings sustainable and cut our carbon but at the same time we’ve got to have places that are accessible, enjoyable and important to people.”This practical and essential guide to retrofitting for energy efficiency seeks to provide answers to this and other the questions homeowners of old houses are asking. Whether your house is medieval and timber-framed or a Georgian, Victorian or Edwardian terrace, it can be made more energy efficient and sustainable, and this practical and comprehensive handbook will show you how. COVID-19 Health and Safety Measures: We ask all delegates to bring and wear their own mask during the workshop. Hand sanitiser will be available. Our measures are subject to change in accordance with Government guidelines.

Revised and updated throughout, and with a foreword by Kevin McCloud, Old House Eco Handbook includes chapters on the building envelope; roofs and ceilings; windows and doors; walls; floors; paints; energy, air and water; plus a brand new chapter on retrofit materials. Revised and updated throughout , and with a foreword by Kevin McCloud, Old House Eco Handbook includes chapters on the building envelope ; roofs and ceilings ; windows and doors ; walls ; floors ; paints ; energy, air and water ; plus a brand new chapter on retrofit materials . How should we go about making old houses energy efficient without devaluing future sustainability or the appeal and character of old homes by the use of inappropriate solutions?Outstanding course. It was our wedding anniversary present to one another and was well worth it" - Home owner With rising energy bills and the wish to cut carbon emissions high on many people's personal agenda, the need for sustainable, energy efficient buildings is increasingly urgent. The book is written in a logical, smart and accessible way. There will never be a one size fits all solution, but books like this do help to provide readers with a palate of ideas and possible options to ensure restorations are done in as sensitive and effective a manner as possible. As we aim to live in more sustainable ways it also makes sense to bring into the 21st century many old and wonderful buildings that just need some TLC. In this way we can reap the benefits of the smart new ways that are evolving to restore and renovate older buildings.