Quote:
Originally Posted by Hemi
Well I did say nonplussed and each to their own!
 |
I agree. Everyone does what they can and should enjoy their home.
Facts are different to choices however and countries are different. . I did not say you should knock down an old house to build a new one , just that the energy consumed in an old house will outweigh the energy required of a new house construction by many times. Much of an old house is recycled locally. Some comes back as high quality windows or even aggregates.
So better to plan to refit the old house to the highest possible energy standard you can afford in terms of cost. The reality is that a cheap house will have its most expensive components replaced several times over its life in any case. It is just a matter of focus. Insulation is cheap. Linings are cheap. Quality windows even are no longer unaffordable.
A new building of higher standard will require little CO2 output to manufacture as it will be mostly built of very thick sealed timber panels and timber windows with a thin metal or compressed skin.