Victorian Houses Can Have A Green Makeover Too

victorian row houses toronto photo

Victorian houses in Toronto

It's all very nice to talk about green, energy efficient housing from the ground up, but what do you do if you live in an old Victorian house with solid brick walls? As Louise Bloom of the South East England Regional Assembly told the Guardian, 'Eco design is very sexy, but it's good to see what ordinary householders can do. The majority of our housing is old, so it's important to put across the message that a lot can be done to improve it.'

One Brighton area family spent eight months insulating floors and walls, adding solar hot water and radiant heating to cut CO2 emissions by 72%.

It is tough working with old houses; changing the windows can destroy the character of the building, and insulating often means gutting the whole interior. It's also expensive, but as one woman said about her skeptical husband: 'He didn't believe we would ever get back what we'd spent, although, with what's happened to gas and electricity prices, it won't be long before he has to eat humble pie.' ::the Guardian

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