Month: December 2008

Zero Carbon is a term that 'haunts' me a lot (I need to get out more). Our barn won't be zero carbon, for a number of reasons, but mainly because it would have cost too much. I'm sure that the time will come in the not too distant future when photovoltaics (the only sensible option to paying back all that carbon you emit elsewhere) can be installed for a reasonable capital cost and with a reasonable payback period and so the balance will tip. But crucially, that balance has yet to tip. When I read that Wales intends to steal…

What we now consider as high quality, high cost choices for building with, traditional materials such as limestone, sandstone, slate, hard woods, steel, dressed stone and hand-made bricks; were once standard. These materials are what contribute to those elusive but seductive and often valuable features of buildings often referred to as period charm or character. Any building built before World War Two (and many built after) is likely to contain such materials. These will be from the days before mass transportation and the desire to move dense heavy materials over vast distances to be used at locations where similar materials…

An interesting short article on green futures states that: Our historic buildings need not be unsustainable. What's more, we can still learn a lot from their many examples of innovative technology .... underpinned by the old wisdom of self-sufficiency. I go a step further in that I see old buildings and the process of renovating them as an unmissable opportunity to take fantastic old structures with their durable, natural and attractive materials and through marrying these with new technologies & materials providing comfortable, sustainable and healthy living environments. In effect we can erase much of the post-war nastiness in house…

I spend a far amount of time sourcing goods for the barn on the internet so here's a summary of some of my favourite sites with great features, products or service.

So apparently stoves are like hens teeth these days, demand for them has rocketed in line with spiralling fuel bills. I've been trying to track one down, our original choice had a 14-16 weeks lead-time on it so a bit of digging around on the internet later I managed to find a Country 16B Multi-fuel that was in stock with a supplier so hopefully will be with us before Christmas. Plastering is completed (except for final tidying up and the wall behind where the stove will be). My main task has been cleaning down the water staining from the two…