Eco-Friendly House DIY Style

I moved into a new house about 3 months ago. Well, it's not quite new, more like 70 years old but it's new to me. Because I have a bit of money, I wondered what to do in my new house. I came up with two things. I wanted it to be eco-friendly and I wanted it to be one of these automatic houses. More on the auto thing later but first eco-friendly is not a term I particularly like because it conjures up images of hippies and dirty people who would be more attractive if they washed and did their hair! I don't care for some of the so-called eco-lifestyle such as all sleeping in the same bed to share warmth and eating mouldy vegetables from the garden but there are good things about it too. Forget the fact that I would save umpteen tonnes of CO2 because I don't really know how much that is but saving CO2 also means saving money and this is also a good reason to make your house friendly to the environment.
Anyway, there are some things that make a big difference and some that don't. Search the web and there's loads of stuff about all things eco.
I want to share my investigations about insulation since it is the easiest thing to do to make your house use less fuel to heat it. Most people have heard about 'fibre-glass' loft insulation but there are some things you might not know. Currently the Building regulations recommend a minimum of 250mm of fibre-glass type loft insulation. That usually equates to 100mm between the ceiling joists and another wider strip of 150mm going across the first strips to add extra warmth and cover the gaps left between the joists and the 100mm insulation. Find out how much you have in your loft. If only a little bit is there, add some more or replace it. It might cost about £200 but it will not only feel warmer but will reduce your heating bill (as long as you have a thermostat in a useful place or thermostatic radiator valves (TRVs)). Whatever you do, don't open the windows to compensate for the extra warmth. Fit TRVs which will turn the radiator off when the room gets warm. If you are going to convert the loft into a usable room then keep 100 or 150mm insulation in the floor (to stop all the downstairs heat making its way to the loft) but you will also have to add insulation to the rafters. Unfortunately, the rafters are unlikely to be much taller than 100mm (4 inch) which is not deep enough for fibre-glass to provide good insulation so you will have to use rigid phenolic or similar insulation (often called Kingspan but available from other places too). This is quite expensive, about £35 for a 2.5 x 1.25 metre slab at 70mm but it is much higher spec for the size. It can be quite tricky to fit because every gap between the rafters will be a slightly different width and if there are gaps between the side of the slab and the rafters, then the insulation properties will be a bit rubbish. You need to measure each gap and I would suggest doing a section no longer than 1.25m/4 feet at a time otherwise it is a pain. You need to do something to ensure an air gap above the insulation to avoid damp problems unless you have breathable felt in which case you don't. Breathable felt is more like soft fabric whereas tar-type felts do not breathe.
Once your roof is insulated, if you picture the heat inside the house it will rise towards the top ceiling and then move sideways towards the walls. If the walls are not insulated then you could lose a great deal of heat, especially in the winter when prolonged cold causes the walls to absorb lots of heat from inside. If you have a cavity wall (most houses since the 1970s) then arrange to get it filled with insulation. Phone around for prices since some systems are very expensive. If it is already filled (most houses since the 90s) then you will not gain much by doing anything else but if, like me, your walls are solid brick or concrete then you would do well to insulate them. You can do it externally with a render type product (or rather somebody would do it for you) or you can go a much easier route and batten the inside of the walls with 2 x 1 inch wood and fill the gaps in between with 25mm solid insulation (about £10 per sheet) then cover the whole lot with plasterboard, screwed to the battens and tape/plaster it and hey presto - not bad wall insulation. If anything, it protects the cold surfaces of the walls directly touching your nice heated room and stealing all your heat. Since the inside surfaces of walls do not generally get really cold, the insulation will work just fine.
Now double-glazed windows are amazingly expensive, especially when you look at how quickly they are manufactured. For this reason, there is not much point in replacing your windows unless they are broken. It can take 25 or more years to re-coup the cost of the windows and they might not even last that long and that is compared with single glazing rather than existing double-glazing.
There is one reason why eco is good and that is because fuel costs go up and up all the time. In the future, suppose electricity costs a £1 per unit, having your lights on would cost enough let alone other utilities. A house that is very efficient will mean that you can afford to run it properly and comfortably. mmm Nice