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The Daily Telegraph newspaper reported this week on the best ways to upgrade and improve older and more architecturally interesting properties ? with underfloor heating being one of the best ways to make an older building cosy without ruining any of the original features. Although many of the properties built in the 1970s and 1980s are none the worse for modern additions such as stone cladding, double glazing and new roofs, older buildings can suffer aesthetically from ‘eco-improvements’ aimed at making a more energy-efficient home with lower heating and lighting bills. Firstly, heat loss through the walls can be improved by internal insulation ? using materials such as a couple of inches of drylining plasterboard. This makes a lot of difference when it comes to keeping a home warm and cutting energy consumption, especially if used alongside renewable energy sources such as heat pumps or solar thermal panels.
Underfloor heating is a great way to improve the energy-efficiency of an older home without ruining the aesthetics of the internal layout or the original flooring. A smart underfloor heating installation can lay the heat sources under most forms of floor covering and the resultant heat produced does a far better job of heating an entire building, even when the underfloor heating is on the ground floor only.
