Experts say risk of 40C has almost trebled since 2000, with 50/50 chance of hitting that mark in next 12 years
  • Aksamit@slrpnk.netOPEnglish
    12·
    2 days ago

    Hands up, who else is stuck in an uninsulated and poorly ventilated housing situation?

    I barely survived when we had 40c, it reached 50c in my flat and the humidity was truly horrific, it was like living in soup.

    I have a dehumidifier now and lots more fans, but I’m still struggling in this heat we’re currently having as this building is entierly uninsulated and the bedsits it’s divided up into are very poorly ventilated. The heat rising from the floors and radiating through the internal walls is like being in an oven.

    • cynar@lemmy.worldEnglish
      2·
      23 hours ago

      For what it’s worth, superfoil insulation is relatively cheap, and easy to mount via suction cups. It does an excellent job at stopping heat coming in through glass windows. It won’t stop it coming through the walls, but might slow down the heat reaching sauna levels.

    • Quicky@piefed.socialEnglish
      6·
      2 days ago

      You’re welcome to crash in my 150 year old 2-foot thick stone wall house with fuck all insulation that’s unbearably freezing year round.

      It’s one way or the other in this country. Sweaty new-builds with no air con, or ancient glorified caves that wouldn’t heat up if they were on fire.

      • GreatAlbatross@feddit.ukEnglish
        2·
        24 hours ago

        Sweaty new-builds with no air con

        We’re slowly getting there. MVHC imo is going to be the next big one that goes in the regulations.
        The concept is, you seal the house up so that airflow doesn’t happen unless you want it to.
        Then set up heat exchangers with ducting between the rooms.
        So fresh air can be brought in, cooled/heated by the stale air going out.
        And it also lends itself well to aircon systems.

        There is also Part O of the building regs, which uses calculated shade on south-facing windows to minimise solar gain in the hottest months.

      • Aksamit@slrpnk.netOPEnglish
        1·
        2 days ago

        Eh this place I’m in is from the 30’s and despite the ‘renovations’ to turn it into a disturbing number of bedsits for the size of the building, it still has it’s original ‘historically significant’ wood framed, single pane sash windows, so along with the complete lack of insulation and piss poor ventilation, it ends up damp and freezing cold in winter too.

        There are so many older buildings that have been done up ‘slum lord’ style like this in the uk, it’s actually kinda scary how common they are. A lot of temporary/emergency housing is in buildings like this and the landlords make a huge amount of money by shoddily subdividing and renting to the council, and save an equally huge amount by avoiding doing vital repair and maintenance work till court ordered.

        Your ancient glorified cave sounds wonderful, ngl.

        • Quicky@piefed.socialEnglish
          3·
          2 days ago

          It does have those exact single paned sash windows mind you, which rattle with every passing car.

          When the kids complained years ago about how cold it was in this house, I put blankets in the living room for us all to wrap up in. We’ve since upgraded to duvets. I’m currently on the sofa under a double duvet. It’s 9pm and 22 degrees outdoors.

    • manualoverride@lemmy.worldEnglish
      11·
      2 days ago

      Don’t worry the government will make it all better by spending millions on schemes to promote heating, cooling and insulation options behind 17 layers of bureaucracy making it somehow horrifically expensive with almost zero profit for tradesmen and disallowing any DIY options.