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ECOBUNGALOW
suerowlands47
Nov 182 min read
29. Energy Use - the heating is on!
The weather’s getting colder. The heating is on. Energy use and comfort are becoming more interesting! Energy use and carbon emissions:...
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suerowlands47
Oct 284 min read
28. The Bottom Line
Nobody tells you how much their project really cost. I wish they would. It would be so helpful to clients to understand what’s involved...
109 views2 comments
suerowlands47
Oct 241 min read
27. Sharing experiences: Passivhaus Trust Open Days
Every year, Passivhaus buildings open their doors to visitors, sharing knowledge and experience. The EcoBungalow had an open day last...
71 views0 comments
suerowlands47
Oct 154 min read
26. Energy use, bills and comfort
So, the EcoBungalow is complete and I’ve been living in it since May 2024. My aim is to keep this blog going for at least a calendar year...
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suerowlands47
Aug 282 min read
25. The Passive House / Letterbox Conundrum
Making the EcoBungalow as airtight as possible was a critical part of the build. Preventing heat loss by eliminating drafts goes...
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suerowlands47
Jul 251 min read
24. Interior: Before and after
The main aim of this project has been to create a low-energy, comfortable house. But it has also enabled the transformation of a 1970s...
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suerowlands47
Jul 43 min read
23. Mixergy: Doesn't do what it says on the tin
Moving into the EcoBungalow 3 ½ years ago, I inherited an ancient gas boiler with a hot water cylinder. Having become used to gas combi...
113 views0 comments
suerowlands47
Jun 274 min read
22. Life with Mechanical Ventilation
It’s taken nine months from start on site to moving back into my not-quite-finished house. Despite the long build period, it’s only...
91 views0 comments
suerowlands47
May 232 min read
21. Ta-dah!
We want the external walls to do two things: to be airtight, but also to be breathable. These two are often confused. 'Airtight' refers...
235 views0 comments
suerowlands47
May 54 min read
20. The heart of the home: the kitchen
I love to cook. The EcoBungalow project meant that I could completely reorganise the kitchen to create something that works perfectly for...
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suerowlands47
Mar 22 min read
19. Proper planning prevents poor performance
Planning ahead is vital in any construction project. This is especially crucial with internal wall insulation. We needed to plan for...
176 views3 comments
suerowlands47
Feb 202 min read
18. Air, water, electricity: keeping it simple
Ever lived in a house where there just aren’t enough electrical sockets? Where the light switches are in the wrong place? Where the hot...
110 views0 comments
suerowlands47
Jan 162 min read
17. Is the EcoBungalow the most airtight retrofit in the UK?
A big day in the evolution of the EcoBungalow: the interim airtightness test. We’d established that the original draughty, cold bungalow...
204 views0 comments
suerowlands47
Dec 24, 20232 min read
16. And 2023 ends with an airtight box! (Well, nearly)
The floor’s finished, the ceiling’s done and the excellent Viking triple glazed windows are in. Now for the last remaining step in...
183 views0 comments
suerowlands47
Oct 31, 20231 min read
15. It's starting to look like a Passive House
The project has now been on site for three months. Whilst great progress has been made, it’s so far looked pretty much like a standard...
173 views0 comments
suerowlands47
Oct 13, 20231 min read
14. Sharing experiences: Passivhaus Trust Open Days
Every year, Passivhaus buildings across the globe open their doors to visitors, sharing knowledge and experience. This year marks the...
58 views0 comments
suerowlands47
Aug 22, 20233 min read
13. Getting going on site at last!
At last! The EcoBungalow is underway with the demolition and strip out phase proceeding at a very fast pace indeed. To make things as...
350 views3 comments
suerowlands47
Jul 13, 20233 min read
12. Boring stuff: Building Contract and Insurance
With the design finalised and more-or-less back on budget, the next steps before starting on site were the crucial but unexciting tasks...
99 views2 comments
suerowlands47
Mar 1, 20232 min read
11. This is not Grand Designs
Following on from planning permission, Hesketh Hayden developed the detailed design and specification of the EcoBungalow ready for...
120 views0 comments
suerowlands47
Nov 30, 20222 min read
10. There's more to it than just the building
Sustainable living isn’t just about the building. When I moved in, my garden was pretty typical of 1970s suburbia: close mown grass in...
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