Description:

You may have decided to buy an old house or you may have inherited it. Currently, economically and even aesthetically, it is the most favorable option for those who want to own a home. And is that, the idea of obtaining and reforming an old house, is more common than you think.

However, when we have an old property, it is necessary to rehabilitate and reform it to get a comfortable space and, in turn, sustainable. Therefore, today we bring you a series of reasons and ideas to reform your old house in the best possible way.

 

Why should I renovate my old house to make it sustainable

Living with greater comfort while saving money is the dream of many and the reality of all those who opt for sustainability in their homes.

First of all, green homes opt for renewable energy sources that do not pollute the environment. Solar panels, for example, are a good sustainable alternative for a more eco-friendly home.

On the other hand, living in a sustainable house has a direct impact on our economy. Reforming the thermal insulation capacity, as well as the use of rainwater, helps to reduce heating, gas, energy and water.

Finally, although our home should be a safe place and protect our health, the opposite is often true. Building materials can be even more harmful than the outside. The walls and carpets in our home can be loaded with chemical contamination if they contain heavy metals, flame retardants or bisphenols. When we opt for sustainability, we are opting for materials that are beneficial in terms of durability, economy, health and material proximity.

 

How to renovate your old house?

When we renovate a home, we have to consider many aspects that we must deal with, whether decorative or structural. Therefore, below we show you a series of ideas to reform your old house in the most efficient way:

 

The structure of your home is the foundation of your future. 

The envelope of your house, that is, the floors, walls and roofs, are the base from which you are going to create your home. You must insulate them properly to avoid energy loss. If the structure is not perfectly cared for, everything we change inside it will be meaningless.

 

Invest in good thermal and acoustic insulation. 

In general, old houses tend to have many thermal bridges that let the cold pass through and do not keep the heat in. This means higher energy and economic costs in the long term. Fiberglass is the most commonly used insulating material in areas that require greater compression, such as the floor. However, if we want to opt for sustainable options, we can choose cork, sheep wool, hemp or linen panels. These are insulating materials, both in terms of sound and temperature, and do not have a large environmental impact.

 

Insulation is doors and windows.

We must be careful in their selection and installation when renovating an old house. Insulating doors reduce heat loss by up to 40% and minimize the effects of infiltration and wind suction. This translates into greater thermal efficiency of the house and a reduction of CO2 emissions.

 

With respect to the windows, from the frame to the type of opening are important when selecting the one chosen. If we are looking for windows manufactured in a sustainable way, PVC windows are a good option. If, in addition, what we are looking for is that they are sustainable, we should look for RTI (reinforced thermal insulation) glass, which will help us to maintain the temperature of our home. Finally, we have to consider the size of our window, because if it is too big, it will let the sun in during the hot season and, at the same time, it will take away our privacy.

 

Be careful with dampness

Once the structure and cladding of our old house is finished, a key step is to check for dampness when renovating our old house. Insufficient insulation and the porosity of old building materials cause dampness to be very present in old houses. To solve it, first of all we need a good system of forced ventilation to which we have to add the method of pressure by ventilation. This consists of inflating the surroundings of the house, thus renewing the air inside the space and avoiding the appearance of dew.

 

Passivhaus, the way to efficiency in your home

When you are going to renovate your old house, the term Passivhaus has to be included in your vocabulary. Do you know what it consists of?

The Passivhaus standard aims to reduce energy consumption as much as possible by using the principles of bioclimatic architecture. In addition, renewable energies are used as much as possible to regulate the temperature of the home.

In short, passive construction is based on the use of energy and sunlight during the winter period and the reduction of solar incidence during the summer. This, as homeowners, helps us in reducing costs in consumption bills since our home will be in the ideal conditions in a natural way.

 

Play with the decoration

Finally, we have the decoration. Old houses can have a certain vintage air that we can use to our advantage by recovering elements and not discarding them. One example is the walls, which can be recovered leaving the stone visible. It is not a resource that should be abused but it works, for example, as a headboard wall in your bedroom.

Another idea is to combine new elements with old ones that we can recover. Maybe the floor of the stairs is in a good condition to combine it with some new elements such as the wall and furniture.

We can enhance the original. Changing the structure looking for greater sustainability does not mean that we eliminate the original completely. Certain wooden beams, pillars that are exposed or some moldings, which have many old houses, can be aesthetically interesting without affecting its quality.

 

As you can see, opting to buy an old house and renovate it, has several aspects to contemplate. Making your home sustainable is the best solution for your old home to make you happy for many years. Remember that rehabilitation and sustainability are compatible with vintage aesthetics.

If you are trying to renovate your old house and you still don't know how to do it, our team can accompany you on the way to make your home totally sustainable while maintaining its essence. With the right construction methods and the best materials from the community itself, Abeiro guarantees the rehabilitation and renovation of your old house with the best conditions.