Revised and updated throughout, and with a foreword by Kevin McLoud, Old House Eco Handbook includes chapters on the building envelope; roofs and ceilings; windows and doors; walls; floors; paints; energy, air and water; plus a brand new chapter on retrofit materials. Drop us a line if you want to be featured, guest post, suggest a possible interview or just let us know what you would like to see more of in our future articles. We’re always open to new and interesting suggestions for informative and different articles.

COVID-19 Health and Safety Measures: We ask all delegates to bring and wear their own mask during the workshop. Hand sanitiser will be available. Our measures are subject to change in accordance with Government guidelines.The book systematically walks you through the process of evaluating what is the best approach for the particular house you are hoping to renovate and restore. There are specific chapters on retrofit materials, again usefully updated to 2019 to reflect new developments and approaches. Then it walks you through roofs, ceilings, windows, doors, walls, floors, and then paints, to make sure you don’t create something wonderfully breathable and then cover it in a non-breathable layer.

He was named Sustainable Property Journalist of the Year at the LSL Property Press Awards in both 2013 and 2014 and B2B Property Journalist of the Year at the Headline Property Awards 2008. His huntwriter.com blog won Best Blog and Best Eco Home Blog at the PrimeLocation.com Blog Awards 2011. Roger Hunt, co-author (with Marianne Suhr) of Old House Handbook, is an award-winning writer and blogger with a particular interest in sustainable and vernacular architecture and the materials and techniques used in construction. He is the author of Rural Britain: Then and Now, a celebration of the British countryside, Villages of England and Hidden Depths, an archaeological exploration of Surrey's past. He lectures on building-related issues, is a judge of annual awards for new housing and serves on the editorial board of the SPAB magazine. His latest renovation project is a 1900 house on Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, USA. Roger says it's a complex subject as we have to embrace the value of the building in terms of beauty, aesthetics and our love for them, along with the monetary value. Take time to understand your building Roger says that some sort of mechanical ventilation is almost inevitable, particularly for kitchens and bathrooms, but heat recovery systems don't necessarily work well in old buildings. Reducing drafts is as important to comfort level as insulation With rising energy bills and the wish to cut carbon emissions high on many people’s personal agenda, the need for sustainable, energy-efficient buildings is increasingly urgent. Old House Eco Handbook shows homeowners, architects and builders how to make houses – be they medieval and timber-framed, Georgian, Victorian or Edwardian – energy-efficient and low carbon without devaluing future sustainability or character.A risk of coming in and doing a complete retrofit of an old building is that it can lose some of the character which makes us love them in the first place. Don't rush in. Live in an old building for a year, through each of the seasons, to really understand the damp and the light. That will also help with your interior decoration. Marianne Suhr is a Chartered Building Surveyor specialising in the repair of historic buildings. After a scholarship with the SPAB, she worked for seven years in architectural practice, then full-time on hands-on repair projects including three very different old houses. For the SPAB she has run over 40 homeowners’ courses and numerous ‘limedays’. She is co-author (with Roger Hunt) of Old House Handbook, and has written and lectured extensively. A co-presenter of three series of BBC2’s Restoration, she recently set up the Old House Consultancy, advising on repairs and alterations in the Oxfordshire locality. The course is relevant for those who live in, use or manage period properties (pre-1919), and is a popular introductory one-day course for professionals who may need to brief their clients on improving the energy efficiency of their homes. With opportunities to ask questions throughout the day, the course also offers an opportunity to talk over lunch and learn from fellow attendees who may be facing similar challenges.