Working with your designer
Tips for good design
Designing your renovation to work with your climate -
not against it - is a cost effective way to stay comfortable
and save on energy bills. This is where a good designer
can really help. Your climate will influence what kind of
construction materials you should use, as well as other
aspects like floor plan design and how much glass,
shading and insulation you need.
[See Your Home:
Design for climate.]
Save money and get that light and airy feel indoors by
designing to make the most of daylight. This can be done
by facing living rooms towards the midday sun where
possible and by using light-coloured paints and finishes
inside the house. This means facing north, unless you
live above the Tropic of Capricorn.
[See Your Home:
Lighting.]
Many renovators are now choosing to 'future proof'
their homes through environmentally friendly design
and product choices. There's a huge range of innovative
products available, from insulated wall panels made from
recycled ingredients, to natural paints, to cement that's
much less energy-intensive to manufacture. These
products look no different to 'standard' products, and
many are cost competitive. You can find a wide range
of these products on the ecospecifier website.
[See Your Home:
Material use.]
'We were amazed to find such a range of cost effective, environmentally friendly products.'
Ask your designer to include your choices in the specification. See Choosing products for more on choosing products.
Glass gives a wonderful open feel to a home and lets in natural light, but it can create comfort and glare problems. Glass is the path of least resistance, letting out over 10 times more heat in winter and letting in more than 100 times more heat in summer than a typical insulated wall.
Use a moderate amount of glass in your renovation and choose energy efficient windows, glass doors and skylights - see Choosing products for product selection tips. Put most glazing on the north side where possible, unless you live in northern Australia.
Shading glass is very important to keep rooms cool in summer. Eaves work really well on the north and south sides because they keep out summer sun and let in winter sun.
Adjustable shutters, external blinds or vertical trellises that block low sun in summer work best on the east and west.
Close-fitting curtains and blinds
help keep warmth inside and heat outside, as do double
glazing and special glass coatings.
[See Your Home:
Glazing, Shading.]
Although you don't see it, you'll feel the impact of good insulation every day. Your home will be quieter and more comfortable, plus you'll save money on energy bills.
How much insulation you need depends on your climate, but even in the mildest climates homes need good insulation to be comfortable. You'll also need extra insulation if you have central heating or air conditioning, to keep in the warmth or cool.
In all climates you need roof, ceiling and
wall insulation. Whether you need floor insulation
depends on the climate and type of floor.
[See Your
Home: Insulation.]
