When I was looking for a property I was interested in buying a relatively new house rather than an old property. I wanted to create a modern home in Italy. Most expats want to buy a piece of history and restore it. I have done this with some friends in Tuscany www.fontelunga.com but now I wanted to do something a little different for myself. By buying a modern property I had more scope for doing something a little bit different and at the same time not being constrained too much by history but only the bureaucrats!
The problems with renovating a 70s’ house you become aware of when you open it up like any property. You realise that the methods of construction during these times were a little slap dash to say the least. Little or no foundations no insulation the use of asbestos etc. The much older houses were probably better built or at least they had thick walls.
We are removing some old asbestos water tanks in the roof. – the cost is expensive and as they are not broken I could leave them there but probably better and I feel better with them not there. I just have to make sure they are disposed of correctly. As we are digging up the old floors to put in foundations we can now insulate them properly and at the same time we will insulate the roof. We are putting in under floor heating with photovoltaic panels to use the suns energy to provide the electricity for use in the house and solar panels for heating the water for the underfloor heating and domestic use. We are also using air heat pumps which are economical in their use of electricty. These are also useful in that they can be used to cool the water and therefore cool the house as well by keeping the floor cool. The larger windows mean we have to use glass that reduces energy and heat loss/gain in the winter and summer. The frames themselves will also be insulated. Use of blinds in the house will also reduce energy gain in the summer.
Water is a problem for us as we rely on a well. We will be conserving water wherever possible using rainwater in the loos and washing machine and for irrigating the garden and also by encouraging our guests to use less! Trying to be green has to be a passion as its expensive, I can understand people thinking twice before doing it. But inspite of the higher upfront cost our energy consumption should be low.
The problems with renovating a 70s’ house you become aware of when you open it up like any property. You realise that the methods of construction during these times were a little slap dash to say the least. Little or no foundations no insulation the use of asbestos etc. The much older houses were probably better built or at least they had thick walls.
We are removing some old asbestos water tanks in the roof. – the cost is expensive and as they are not broken I could leave them there but probably better and I feel better with them not there. I just have to make sure they are disposed of correctly. As we are digging up the old floors to put in foundations we can now insulate them properly and at the same time we will insulate the roof. We are putting in under floor heating with photovoltaic panels to use the suns energy to provide the electricity for use in the house and solar panels for heating the water for the underfloor heating and domestic use. We are also using air heat pumps which are economical in their use of electricty. These are also useful in that they can be used to cool the water and therefore cool the house as well by keeping the floor cool. The larger windows mean we have to use glass that reduces energy and heat loss/gain in the winter and summer. The frames themselves will also be insulated. Use of blinds in the house will also reduce energy gain in the summer.
Water is a problem for us as we rely on a well. We will be conserving water wherever possible using rainwater in the loos and washing machine and for irrigating the garden and also by encouraging our guests to use less! Trying to be green has to be a passion as its expensive, I can understand people thinking twice before doing it. But inspite of the higher upfront cost our energy consumption should be low.
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