Algemeen Dagblad || March 19, 2024
Shivering in your historic home with single-pane windows and hearing every noise from outside. “That’s just the way it is,” many people think. Yet that hasn’t been the case for a long time. In fact, insulation is actually encouraged, even in historic buildings.
More and more people are insulating their homes. It makes it much easier to keep the house comfortably warm, it’s sustainable, and it can save a lot of money. But if you live in a historic home, insulation can seem like a challenge. The Green Heart is teeming with these kinds of homes, and not all of them are well insulated—but that’s changing fast.
A persistent myth
“It’s a persistent myth that you’re not allowed to make any changes to a historic home,” says Frank Buchner. He is the Program Manager for Heritage and Sustainability at the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands. “You do indeed have to apply for a permit before making any changes, but that doesn’t mean it’s not allowed. In fact, in most cases, that permit is simply granted.”
Ruud Witte, a resident of Gouda, lives in one of the many historic buildings found in the Green Heart region. “My house is actually a combination of two buildings. One side of the house is considered historic, while the other is not. On the historic side, I still have single-pane windows. During the restoration, about forty years ago, the rules were very strict.”
Stained glass
In most cases, insulation is now possible. “Of course, there are exceptions,” Buchner explains. “If a home has stained-glass windows, you can’t simply replace them with standard double-pane glass. Additionally, each municipality makes its own decisions.”
The idea that insulation is impossible arose because standard double-pane glass doesn’t fit into most old window frames. These days, there are other solutions, such as thin double-pane glass, vacuum glazing, and storm windows.
GlasXL in Moordrecht also insulates historic buildings, says director Pierre Overdijk. “We’ve noticed that more people are coming to us to make their homes more sustainable, including residents of historic buildings. This trend has been going on for several years now. The increase seems to be closely linked to the rise in energy prices over the past few years.”
Narrower
“The difference between insulating historic buildings and other structures is that, with historic homes, you’re not allowed to make any changes to the exterior facade,” explains Overdijk. “In addition, the window frames are somewhat narrower, but with that special vacuum glazing, that doesn’t have to be a challenge at all. The Midden-Holland Environmental Agency has approved this type of glass.”
The national agency encourages replacing old glass for several reasons. First, it contributes to sustainability goals. Additionally, it encourages residents to continue living in their homes and to maintain them.
Vacancy, deterioration, and loss of value
“If a home isn’t insulated, it can cost a lot of extra money—especially given the sharp rise in energy costs in recent years,” Buchner continues. “If we were to ban insulation, that would have negative consequences not only for the residents but also for the homes themselves. It would make the homes much less attractive to live in. That, in turn, could lead to vacancy, deterioration, and a decline in property value. We must prevent that.”
Source: Algemeen Dagblad
Date: March 19, 2024
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