Heritage Home Tour

Met with Steve Mechem this evening, who owns a heritage home in the Kamloops west end. He gave us a tour of his home, and gave us a lot of information about how he's managed to retrofit his home to make it more efficient - especially in regards to insulation.





The majority of these older homes have no insulation at all, and very thin 4" walls - to add insulation to them, the most effective method to add spray foam insulation. To do this, you either have to create spaces on the inside or the outside of the home in order to fill it up with insulation.

This photo is an example of where they've drilled holes to fill the walls - these holes are across his entire house.



It can be very difficult to add air space and circulation into the attic space of a home, because of the way that the rafters were built.



The house has been added onto and altered, a basement has been dug out where there was not one originally, and has left the foundation which was previous underground now exposed. There are now holes in the foundation which create drafts through the entire bottom portion. You can also see where the foundation changes to brick. The original foundation was original stone, which was not properly sealed.



Hung windows are some of the most effective windows in terms of creating circulation because you can open them at the top and at the bottom, to allow hot air to escape and cool air to enter. However, there are areas on either side of the window where the weights hang, and there is no way to add any insulation to those spaces at all. There are also a lot of issues with hung windows because they do not seal very well in the winter.



Despite their old age, they were built to be easy to maintain, and small panels can be removed on the inside of these hung windows so that you can replace the cotton strings which hold the weights to balance the windows.

More Heritage Homes

Thesis Question

I've decided that my exact thesis statement is going to be:

What are the most effective methods to make heritage homes more sustainable in Kamloops?

I'm going to try and get in contact with some of the people who first designed some of the homes in the west-end of Kamloops and ask them some questions. I discovered I have a bit of a link to Glen Jardine, who built some of the homes in that area, so I plan to contact him and find ask him some questions about the area, his inspirations, and his thoughts on my topic!

Abstract - Second Draft

I've been fiddling around with my abstract some more and come up with an improved (I think!) version of what has been posted below. Still not perfect, by any means, but it's evolving! Any feedback would be awesome! Thanks.

Abstract

Within the last half decade, the world has begun to focus more and more of its attention towards creating a more environmentally friendly planet. The realization of the damage that has been done to the natural environment has become clear, and attempts have begun to remedy our actions. One large aspect of this movement is the concept of living a green lifestyle, and creating environmentally friendly and sustainable housing.

While there has been a strong influx of new construction and design which incorporates sustainable technology, the solution is not simply creating new buildings – we must also adapt those homes which already exist. This vital idea is one which will be explored thoroughly within this report.

Heritage homes often have a sense of beauty and craftsmanship that is not commonly found within most modern residential design. While these homes have often been built very well, they have been designed and constructed more then four decades ago. Despite their classic craftsmanship, their old age has caused different aspects of the homes to deteriorate and eventually fail. They must be maintained and updated to create a more sustainable home for the future.

While minor changes can be made within any home to make it more green, there are many larger renovations which can be done to greatly increase the efficiency of a residential heritage house. As with any renovation; cost, time, and scale are very important factors, and it is vital to conduct research to discover what changes in your homes will make the greatest improvement. Long term investments must be considered, as an item which may cost a large amount of money initially may decrease your energy bills dramatically over the next five years, and that money will be regained.

The purpose of this applied research paper is to discover the main problems within these beautiful heritage homes and to highlight sustainable and environmentally friendly methods to solve these issues. This report was also written to discover the most simple and cost effective methods to fix these problems in older homes. In-depth research was conducted, both through academic and non-academic sources, as well as on-site research at a historical home within the downtown Kamloops area.

One of the main problems in historical homes is their poor insulation. This causes heat loss, and thus increased heating bills. There are certain areas of the home which are the main causes of heat loss, and these areas must be updated and filled with proper insulation in order to maintain a healthy and warm home. There are also often issues around old doors and windows, and these leaks within the building envelope can cause cool drafts and more loss of heat.

These are just some of the issues which can occur within heritage homes, many more common problems and recommended solutions will be set forth in this report. This in-depth research which will provide guidance to historical home owners, so they may decide what upgrades and renovations will be most effective for them to create a more environmentally friendly and sustainable home.

Awesome find!

I discovered a really awesome website today about the heritage homes in Vancouver and gives quite a few examples of heritage homes being updated to become more sustainable. They're coming out with a complete guide on doing this in the fall (hopefully before the paper is due!) And has a whole bunch of booklets you can view online about historical homes. There are also a dozen links on the site to more sites about historic preservation and green building, so I've found a lot more sources! Quite a find that I'm going to be looking into more! I've added the link on the sidebar if anyone else is interested!

Abstract - First Draft

The following is the first draft of my abstract. Let me know if I'm totally off track, or if there are any major issues that need addressing. Thanks!

Abstract

Despite their craftsmanship and beauty, it is common for older, heritage homes to have problems such as high heating bills and constant drafts. They were built during a period where environmentally friendly practices and materials were not a priority, and they did not have the technology which can currently be found. As sustainability and being ‘green’ becomes a larger and more important issue, many owners of these homes are looking to improve their houses.

As with any renovation; cost, time, and scale are very important factors, and it is vital to conduct research to discover what changes will make the largest differences and improvement in a home. After this basic research has been conducted, more information must be gathered to discover what changes will give the biggest impact for the smallest sum of money. Long term investments must be considered, as an item which may cost a large amount of money initially may decrease your energy bills dramatically over the next five years, that your money will be regained within the near future.

The purpose of this applied research paper is to discover the main problems that are currently issues within these beautiful, but old heritage homes and to highlight some sustainable and environmentally friendly ways to fix these problems. This report was also written to discover the most simple and cost effective methods to change these problems in older homes. In-depth research was conducted, both through academic and non-academic sources, as well as on-site research at a historical home within the downtown Kamloops area.

One of the main problems in historical homes is their poor insulation – or a complete lack of proper insulation. This causes heat loss, and thus increased heating bills. Recommendations will be made on how to fix these problems, as well as other issues with leaks occurring within the building envelope. These leaks are commonly found within ancient windows and doors, and replacing these can cause significant improvements within the building envelop. Additional insulation can also be added to increase the RSI value of the home, and several different options will be laid out within this report.

Other issues within older homes are generally related with the use of older and less environmentally friendly materials. The location of these materials will impact whether they can be changed or updated either easily or difficultly. Those materials which have been used to create the structure of the building are likely too costly to remove, but there are some issues which can be fixed affordably. These could include updating appliances or leaky fixtures to decrease wasteful uses of water.

Electrical systems within a historical home are also generally old, ineffective, and dangerous, and can be updated within a home – but often at a steep price. Other methods to update the electrical system in these homes has been outlined within the report, solutions ranging from updating and changing the types of light bulbs you use, to completing replacing your electrical system.

After reading my report, owners of historical homes will be able to decide what upgrades and renovations will be most effective for their own homes. They will also be able to judge what changes they can afford to make which will create great improvements in creating a more environmentally friendly and sustainable home.

Original Graphics

Does anyone have any ideas for original graphics? I thought that just doing a photo was pretty plain, and doesn't quite incorporate the renovation/sustainable aspect of the topic as well. Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated!