"Almost two years ago, my husband and I bought our dream home on the Gold Coast of Queensland, Australia: a 1980s brick house with three bedrooms, two baths, and 2,900-square-foot space. It has all the hallmarks of the era it came from - single-glazed windows, gaps that leaked air, gas appliances, and no insulation in the ceiling or internal walls - but we fell in love with it at first viewing."
"The house had high ceilings, north-facing light pouring into the main living areas, and a sprawling backyard with space for all our garden plans. But living in a hot, humid climate, we knew the house wouldn't cope with long summers or rising energy demands without changes. Gold Coast summers routinely push into the mid-80s with humidity hovering above 80% for much of the year. Even modest temperature increases feel oppressive."
"Typical for older Australian homes, our house had zero insulation and heat transfer was a major issue. This means that in the winter, rooms that had been warm during the day would plummet to single digits overnight, and in the summer, the brick walls soaked up heat and released it long after sunset, keeping us much toastier than we'd like."
A 1980s brick house on Queensland's Gold Coast lacked insulation, had single-glazed windows, air leaks, gas appliances, and no internal wall or ceiling insulation. The house offered high ceilings, north-facing light, and a large backyard, but hot, humid summers and rising temperatures created significant comfort and energy challenges. Recent seasons included record-high temperatures and more extreme heat days. Roof and wall heat transfer accounted for substantial energy loss, so adding insulation and improving airtightness became priorities to reduce heat gain and loss, increase comfort, and lower energy bills.
Read at Apartment Therapy
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