Why is my house cold?
And what can I do to fix it in my renovation?
Or prevent it in my new build?
If you’ve had these questions, here’s 7 reasons why.
Listen to the episode now.
Hello! This is Episode 284. In it, I want to share with you some learnings, some personal experience, and some insights into why your home is so cold.
I’ll be discussing some of the key things to understand if you’re wanting to improve the comfort of your home when renovating, or ensure that your new home is built to provide a thermally comfortable environment.
The World Health Organisation states that if your home is, on average, less than 18 degrees per day during Winter months, it’s a home that’s impacting your health and well-being detrimentally. And Australia is notorious for cold homes, with 4 out of 5 homes considered cold across the country.
You can definitely change this as part of your renovation or new build project, so let’s learn more.
Now, let’s dive in!
Why is my home so cold?
Well, to answer you succinctly, it’s because it’s not designed or built to suit the climate.
Homes don’t have to be cold or hot just because that’s the way our climate is.
They can be designed and constructed as buildings that shelter and protect us from the outdoor conditions, and provide thermally comfortable environments with regulated temperatures internally.
But of course, there’s a much longer answer to that question. And understanding why it’s so cold can give you a pathway to fixing it with a renovation, or improving it in a new build.
So, I want to help you understand more about what to review and what to do, so you can navigate your project more confidently with this in mind.
For those listening thinking “my house isn’t cold, but it is super hot”, the info I’ll be sharing in this episode will be helpful for you too, because it’s really about key things when designing and building for your climate.
So, why is your house cold?
As I said earlier, it’s because of the design and construction of your home that it is cold.
It’s as simple – and as complex – as that.
And if you’re renovating or building new, the solution to creating a more thermally comfortable home is in the design and construction.
So, I’m going to take you through 7 things to consider, or the 7 reasons, when reviewing why your home is cold, and what can be done to fix it.
Of course, these things will apply differently whether you’re building new or renovating an existing home.
LISTEN TO THE EPISODE NOW.
RESOURCES:
Residential Efficiency Scorecard Episode with Melanie Lupis >>> https://undercoverarchitect.com/podcast-residential-efficiency-scorecard-melanie-lupis-sustainability-certified/
Season 1: What Matters Most >>> https://undercoverarchitect.com/podcast/season-1/
Season 2: How to Design a Home >>> https://undercoverarchitect.com/podcast/season-2/
How do you design a home when your best view is in the wrong direction (a blog on west-facing homes!) >>> https://undercoverarchitect.com/how-do-you-design-a-new-home/
Home insulation podcast episode with James Cornell, Life Panels >>> https://undercoverarchitect.com/podcast-home-insulation-wood-fibre-james-cornell-life-panels/
Mould in your home? Here’s what to do, with Alexx Stuart, Low Tox Life >>> https://undercoverarchitect.com/podcast-mould-in-your-home-alexx-stuart-low-tox-life/
Tracey Gramlick, Aluminium Window Association on the podcast discussing how to choose energy efficient glass windows and doors >>> https://undercoverarchitect.com/podcast-choosing-energy-efficient-glass-windows-and-doors/
Access the support and guidance you need to be confident and empowered when renovating and building your family home inside my flagship online program, HOME METHOD >>> https://undercoverarchitect.com/courses/the-home-method/
Learn more about how to interview and select the right builder with the Choose Your Builder mini-course >>> https://undercoverarchitect.com/courses/choose-your-builder
Access my free online workshop “Your Project Plan” >>> https://undercoverarchitect.com/projectplan
Michael Campbell says
Hi Amelia,
What a great ambassador for the industry in building better homes you are.
A fantastic overview on cold homes.
We renovated our 1960’s home 20 years ago. It sounds like our home performs like yours. Single glazed windows timber single glazed french doors on the west and south side that leak badly around around the frames. Verandas on the north and west side. We used wool insulation in the roof but are certain it has slumped and now performs poorly.
I have looked deeply into different insulation types having high performance and low Voc’s.
We have settled on earthwool as an affordable product that meets a number of the performance environmental and sustainability requirements for our forever home we are starting this year.
I would love to see reaserch and collaboration producing a partner product using natural and glasswool in a high performance and affordable insulation.
There is a glut of low value strong wool in Australia so why not get on the front foot to research a better performing sustainable insulation. As a wool grower I am going to pursue this with Australian Wool Innovation to hopefully get reaserch into this. I would love to see collaboration between Government manufacturers CSIRO and AWI to come up with a better product. Natural wool has fantastic thermal and fire retardant characteristics and in a combination with recycled glass (glasswool) with better slumping characteristics could be a fantastic alternative.
Michael
Undercover Architect Support says
Hey Michael,
Thanks so much for your kind feedback – so glad you enjoyed the information. Best wishes with pursuing your ideas regarding wool insulation. Keep us updated on your progress!
– Amelia, UA x