To think buildings in the UK need to be adapted to this heat?

[Glaceonn]

I know I’m not alone in this, I wonder how it is in high rise flats? My flat is 40 degrees plus in some rooms. What is the answer though because air conditioning as standard would make environmental issues even worse.

There’s no air conditioning in hospitals, care homes, on the tube, buses as far as I know.

Some people simply can’t cope in this heat, I know I’m speaking from a biased viewpoint but I’m not the only one. I can’t remember the last time I wore a jacket in the day, so it’s not just ‘a few days of heat’ where I am.

It’s making me have panic attacks, there is barely any air. If it was extremely cold but we had no heating, we’d be able to expect our landlord to make the place warmer for us.

I’ve had one hour of sleep and can’t articulate my thoughts very well!

@Caspianberg

Air con isn’t the answer, it’s expensive and not great for the environment.

It’s definitely possible to make houses for cold and heat. We are also in Central Europe, with cold snowy winters and hot summers. Our house is heated in winter, but when heating goes off overnight stays nice and warm.
At the moment it’s typically 30-35 degrees most days. Inside it’s 22-24degrees on average. No air con. We have thick walls with insulation, triple glazed windows, wooden shutters on all windows and several pull out shade awnings. The shutters get shut on bedrooms as the sun moves around so it’s cool to sleep, and the awnings get pulled out to shade outside terrace and the rooms inside as stops direct sun on living room and kitchen. We also have plenty of natural shade from trees in garden.

Natural low cost solutions are the way forward. Our awnings for example are about 40 years old, we will replace soon with a fancy electric version that’s larger, but we could buy the exact basic version that’s currently there for about £300. It will last years at no additional cost, and provides shade for outside and inside. Air con is a constant cost of energy. The wooden shutters are from when the house was built in the 1920s, they just require painting or varnishing every few years to look nice.

IKEA sell roller indoor blinds atm for about £20 which aren’t blackout, so you can see through them but they really help block out the suns Rays whilst letting natural light in still

Yes this thread has made me see even more that air con isn’t the answer, it’s just not ok environmentally to have millions of homes using all that energy. I love the idea of making homes better at stopping the heat building up In the first place.

I will check out those blinds!

@Caspianberg hope you managed the storms last few weeks ok.

I agree about the central european build. Summer is in 30s, winter we had -15 and houses managed fine.

Uk has to start looking at this. The weather IS changing. No chance to deny that

Yes houses should be adapted but not just by sticking in air con (just pile on those greenhouse gases). New builds should be built to cope with extremes of temperature (there are a few really minor adjustments to designs that can make a huge difference). Existing houses should be heat proofed with heat reflective film, insulation, shutters etc where possible with air con as a last resort

@Malin52

We have it the opposite in NZ (and in Sydney when I lived there). Everyone seems to labour under the misunderstanding that we don't have winter so houses aren't even bloody weatherproof and aren't ever built with central heating.

It was 4c the other morning (headline news) and winter really only means it drops below 14c for a couple of weeks but we were bloody cold with just a log burner. We chatted about getting a heat pump (blower of hot air on the wall) but dismissed it 'for the sake of a couple of chilly weeks we may as well not bother'

Oh that’s so interesting that you have this problem but the other way round! Don’t suppose you want to swap countries for a few weeks?! 😅

@SchrodingersImmigrant - yes we are fine here thank you, it’s pretty flooded in northern parts though and the volunteer fire brigade have been helping a huge amount.

We have it the opposite in NZ (and in Sydney when I lived there). Everyone seems to labour under the misunderstanding that we don't have winter so houses aren't even bloody weatherproof and aren't ever built with central heating.

Was the same when I lived in a Mediterranean country. Houses just concrete boxes which were ok for keeping cool in summer but seemed to offer it was only actually hot for 6 months of the year and even within that was likely chilly at night for 3 of those. The other 6 months was pretty much like living in a fridge especially as even on warmer winter days it was only warm for a few hours and got dark quite early.

[quote Caspianberg]@SchrodingersImmigrant - yes we are fine here thank you, it’s pretty flooded in northern parts though and the volunteer fire brigade have been helping a huge amount.[/quote]
Horrible. My family isn't in the flooded country but the storms were something. Pretty scary, lots of damage though nowhere near the floods and the tornado areas

There is air con in hospitals and shops. Not sure about buses, but I think many have?

We need to build in better insulation to keep houses cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. Air con is very bad for the climate and we have so few very hot days it would be a better idea to invent a cost effective portable fan/cooler.

The only way forward is to tackle actual issues around climate change. Air con is not a fix for this.

Keeping all curtains / blinds closed is imperative in this weather. Only open the windows once the sun has moved away in the evening.

And cooling spray!

@NoIDontWatchLoveIsland

Air con is a terrifically non-eco solution.

Look at the historic architecture of hot countries, its naturally designed to keep the heat out. Small windows. Thick stone walls.

The biggest problem we have is our addiction to glass. Its purely aesthetic, it's a shit building material, big windows let out heat in winter and soak it in in summer. PiLs have a trendy designed home with huge windows and it's a nightmare, costs a fortune to heat in winter and like a greenhouse in summer.

This. We could just spend more time actually outside.

@EveningOverRooftops

The only way forward is to tackle actual issues around climate change. Air con is not a fix for this.

Frankly, I don't believe we can reverse or stop climate change. Or even considerably slow it down. All we can do is try to slow it a bit and put on seatbelts (house insulation) and learn to live with the new weatjer

Haven't RTFT but drenching a vest top/pjs or whatever in cold water, putting it on and laying in front of the fan helps me long enough to fall asleep

There is air con in hospitals and shops. Not sure about buses, but I think many have?

No only some of the newer ones have it and often it doesn't work so they are hotter than older buses without it.

@NoIDontWatchLoveIsland

Air con is a terrifically non-eco solution.

Look at the historic architecture of hot countries, its naturally designed to keep the heat out. Small windows. Thick stone walls.

The biggest problem we have is our addiction to glass. Its purely aesthetic, it's a shit building material, big windows let out heat in winter and soak it in in summer. PiLs have a trendy designed home with huge windows and it's a nightmare, costs a fortune to heat in winter and like a greenhouse in summer.

Yep, it's down to "not fit for purpose" architecture. Just look at much older buildings - thick walls, small windows, etc., which make them warmer in Winter and cooler in Summer.

My office is in a converted barn 300 years old. I'm sat here in a lovely temperature. When I walk in from the outside, it feels like a fridge or that it's got air conditioning. In winter, it's very cheap to heat as the think walls keep the heat in.

As you say, we need to look at the architecture of hotter countries and architects need to move away from huge glass windows, massive bi-folds, etc.

My 1835-built stone cottage is lovely and cool downstairs but baking upstairs.

It was over 30oC on my ward for the last two days. Working in heat like that is no fun, and sets my MS off.

@DdraigGoch

My 1835-built stone cottage is lovely and cool downstairs but baking upstairs.

More far more loft insulation.

Roof space gets like an oven and that will transfer to your upstairs.

I had 150mm std when it was done a few years back, trebled it and in summer and winter, its made a tremendous difference.

UK houses, leak heat in winter and let it all in during summer, plus people dont keep curtains closed.

Trees outside
and exterior shutters.

I don't understand why the concept of shutters is so alien in this country. Hot and cold temperature, rain.. they would make life so much easier.
You can add blinds inside, but having these big windows in the full sun makes no sense, even in England.

I do judge people who insist on massive bay windows, verandas, roof windows but whine that it's too hot in the summer! What do they expect?
Indoor blinds and shutters are nowhere near as efficient.

We definitely need to adopt passive heating and cooling designs as a minimum. I am resistant to air con because of the environmental impact but when I went to bed at midnight last night it was 28 degrees in my bedroom which just isn’t liveable and climate change means this is only going to get more common in the years to come.

^ my house was built in 1885, I meant to add. Mid terrace. Just checked the bedroom temperature and it’s 29 in there at the moment.

Totally agree with shutters though, I used to live in Germany where roller shutters are standard and never understood why they aren’t a thing here.

Buildings with windows that open are a better idea.

Our house stays cooler if the windows are kept firmly shut in warm weather.

Totally agree with shutters though, I used to live in Germany where roller shutters are standard and never understood why they aren’t a thing here.

They can be a pain though because often the house insurance isn’t valid if they are left open when you go out. It is the same in France.

I see people complaining the room is too hot, when the sun is beating on closed-tight windows. So the indoor temp is higher than outside and they are breathing stale stuffy "used" air.

Open all the windows/doors , to create ventilation and maximum movement of air through the building. Especially upstairs, because hot air rises from downstairs. Close blinds/curtains to reduce solar gain via windows. Stay in the shade. Drink plenty of water.

I read an article about elderly people dieing in the heat in some modern built flats that trap the heat in. Its a known issue already in design but not beinv acted on.

My first flat was awful in the heat.

I am now looking at shutters for the back of my house