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If you live in a warm climate, I personally think insulation is the worst (excepting roofing). Not because of efficiency, but because you isolate yourself from

If you live in a warm climate, I personally think insulation is the worst (excepting roofing). Not because of efficiency, but because you isolate yourself from nature! The traditional Queenslander (look up Bluey if you don’t know what I mean), has so much going for it. It allows airflow through the whole house, a protected outside to sit and be with nature, lizards coming and going, bliss! This hermetically sealed environment that we create for ourselves is bad for us.

nomel 4y ago
Insulation can be orthogonal to fresh air. Ventilation energy recovery units [1] exist to help reduce loss from fresh air (and are code for new houses where I am). This has the benefit that you can have more fresh air, for the same heat loss, since the loss will be from the fresh air, rather than through high thermal conductivity through the non-breathable portions of the walls. 1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_recovery_ventilation https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_recovery_ventilation
darknavi 4y ago
That can work just fine by intentionally opening windows. Having a "drafty" house is just forcing that 100% of the time (which isn't always wanted). Side note: As a US resident in an area with a ton of mosquitos, I cannot understand why other countries don't heavily use window screens. Lizards a pretty cool, flies and other flying bugs are just annoying and gross.
- Tade0 4y ago
  In Europe, outside of the south, mosquitoes are pretty tame. After spending some years in Italy I developed a partial immunity to mosquito bites. It lasted for about half a year.
  - DoingIsLearning 4y ago
    > In Europe, outside of the south, mosquitoes are pretty tame. Use to be... native species were mostly a problem during summer and during night time. But since about 15 years ago you had a massive spread of invasive Asian Tiger mosquitos (Aedes albopictus) genomic studies show it was likely introduced via Italy and Albania simultaneously. Those things are nasty, go 24/7, and are just a very different beast in terms of disease vector. There are already established population pockets as far North as Switzerland. Yet another problem that is likely to worsen as temperatures continue to rise.
    - Tade0 4y ago
      Large part of my immunity was due to them. They employ an amazing tactic by sometimes walking up to their target. You can hear mosquitoes flying, but their footsteps are obviously inaudible.
  - rolisz 4y ago
    Eh, in Romania mosquitoes are pretty bad. And in the last couple of years they're "cousins" came along: tiger mosquitoes. Those cause a really nasty bite
- bckygldstn 4y ago
  As an immigrant to the US I hate the window screens and have removed the ones I can: it feels like being in prison not being able to truly open the windows. We live in an area without mosquitoes or bugs to speak of, but all the apartments here seem to have the screens anyway.
siod 4y ago
The Queenslander house style was built for large blocks that had sufficient airflow, they were built to be cheap and don't work properly with modern block sizes. While they are iconic, and have some great design features, the lack of insulation is not one of them. A modern well insulated house with a heatpump + solar is extremely energy efficient and comfortable in all weather.
- lll-o-lll 4y ago
  “Modern block sizes” will vary where you live, and you can build smaller of course. Obviously this is location dependent advice. If you live in a lifeless suburban wasteland, then outside is no better than inside. If, on the other hand, there is nature around you, and it doesn’t get too cold in winter, then insulation is a pointless exercise! Get a ceiling fan and learn to tolerate a bit of heat. I, personally, need nature to stay mentally healthy, and having nature wander inside from time to time helps greatly.
goodpoint 4y ago
> you isolate yourself from nature That's a feature not a bug. > This hermetically sealed environment that we create for ourselves is bad for us. Not at all. Heat recovery vents exist for a reason!
- lll-o-lll 4y ago
  Not physically. Bad for our souls.
  - danuker 4y ago
    My soul abhors waste and enjoys comfort. I would feel terrible either knowing I'm wasting half my heating energy, or freezing in my home.
    - lll-o-lll 4y ago
      Warm climate, remember? If you cannot cope with an ambient temperature that drops below 20C, there is this thing called “radiant heat”. You can make it with fire. Also, relatively small amounts of electricity. Radiant, just like your soul would become.
      - danuker 4y ago
        Ah. Apologies. But the same is true for cooling. I can't work if it's hotter than 26C. About radiant heat: it is nowhere near the comfort of uniform whole-room heating.
  - goodpoint 4y ago
    My souls feels unhappy when we waste a lot of energy and destroy the planet.
JenrHywy 4y ago
Queenslanders work fine in Queensland, where the lows in winter are still double-digit C. Most of the world (or even Aus) isn't like that. A Queenslander in Canberra would have a massive heating bill 8 months of the year to keep it safely livable.
- lll-o-lll 4y ago
  I said “warm climate”, Canberra does not qualify. Also, plenty of Queensland is single digit C at times in winter, even zero. Then you put on a jumper, or use a bit of radiant heat if really soft.
abigail95 4y ago
Australians have a very strange relationship to insulation and temperature. Some might say it's the defining feature and purpose of having shelter is that we don't live at the mercy of the weather. I can't run a business with indoor temps from 24-31c during business hours. Compounding loss of brain function outside of 18-23c is found by every study I've read. The less exposure to particulate pollution and extreme temperature, the healthier you are, I can't see any arguments otherwise.
- lll-o-lll 4y ago
  Don’t generalise from me. I am a very strange Australian! From a business perspective, I think you are probably right. I don’t personally find cold affects my brain function (you can put on warm clothing right?), but heat probably does once we get above 30c. It’s summer right now in Aus, might be affecting some of my posting. For home though, I’m happy for the inside to be much the same as the outside. Mostly though, I just want the interface between my home and the natural world to be permeable. I think that’s good for mental health, and that the pros outweigh the cons. The thing is that you can’t have that and properly insulate it at the same time. So a choice has to be made, and I personally lean towards less insulation/more lizards. Having said that, we’re all different, whatever floats your boat. If you prefer plastic bubbles inside caves of steel, who am I to judge?
phyzome 4y ago
In that warm a climate, I don't think gas furnaces would be used much in the first place...

nomel 4y ago

Insulation can be orthogonal to fresh air. Ventilation energy recovery units [1] exist to help reduce loss from fresh air (and are code for new houses where I am). This has the benefit that you can have more fresh air, for the same heat loss, since the loss will be from the fresh air, rather than through high thermal conductivity through the non-breathable portions of the walls. 1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_recovery_ventilation https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_recovery_ventilation

darknavi 4y ago

That can work just fine by intentionally opening windows. Having a "drafty" house is just forcing that 100% of the time (which isn't always wanted). Side note: As a US resident in an area with a ton of mosquitos, I cannot understand why other countries don't heavily use window screens. Lizards a pretty cool, flies and other flying bugs are just annoying and gross.

Tade0 4y ago
In Europe, outside of the south, mosquitoes are pretty tame. After spending some years in Italy I developed a partial immunity to mosquito bites. It lasted for about half a year.
- DoingIsLearning 4y ago
  > In Europe, outside of the south, mosquitoes are pretty tame. Use to be... native species were mostly a problem during summer and during night time. But since about 15 years ago you had a massive spread of invasive Asian Tiger mosquitos (Aedes albopictus) genomic studies show it was likely introduced via Italy and Albania simultaneously. Those things are nasty, go 24/7, and are just a very different beast in terms of disease vector. There are already established population pockets as far North as Switzerland. Yet another problem that is likely to worsen as temperatures continue to rise.
  - Tade0 4y ago
    Large part of my immunity was due to them. They employ an amazing tactic by sometimes walking up to their target. You can hear mosquitoes flying, but their footsteps are obviously inaudible.
- rolisz 4y ago
  Eh, in Romania mosquitoes are pretty bad. And in the last couple of years they're "cousins" came along: tiger mosquitoes. Those cause a really nasty bite
bckygldstn 4y ago
As an immigrant to the US I hate the window screens and have removed the ones I can: it feels like being in prison not being able to truly open the windows. We live in an area without mosquitoes or bugs to speak of, but all the apartments here seem to have the screens anyway.

siod 4y ago

The Queenslander house style was built for large blocks that had sufficient airflow, they were built to be cheap and don't work properly with modern block sizes. While they are iconic, and have some great design features, the lack of insulation is not one of them. A modern well insulated house with a heatpump + solar is extremely energy efficient and comfortable in all weather.

lll-o-lll 4y ago
“Modern block sizes” will vary where you live, and you can build smaller of course. Obviously this is location dependent advice. If you live in a lifeless suburban wasteland, then outside is no better than inside. If, on the other hand, there is nature around you, and it doesn’t get too cold in winter, then insulation is a pointless exercise! Get a ceiling fan and learn to tolerate a bit of heat. I, personally, need nature to stay mentally healthy, and having nature wander inside from time to time helps greatly.

goodpoint 4y ago

> you isolate yourself from nature That's a feature not a bug. > This hermetically sealed environment that we create for ourselves is bad for us. Not at all. Heat recovery vents exist for a reason!

lll-o-lll 4y ago
Not physically. Bad for our souls.
- danuker 4y ago
  My soul abhors waste and enjoys comfort. I would feel terrible either knowing I'm wasting half my heating energy, or freezing in my home.
  - lll-o-lll 4y ago
    Warm climate, remember? If you cannot cope with an ambient temperature that drops below 20C, there is this thing called “radiant heat”. You can make it with fire. Also, relatively small amounts of electricity. Radiant, just like your soul would become.
    - danuker 4y ago
      Ah. Apologies. But the same is true for cooling. I can't work if it's hotter than 26C. About radiant heat: it is nowhere near the comfort of uniform whole-room heating.
- goodpoint 4y ago
  My souls feels unhappy when we waste a lot of energy and destroy the planet.

JenrHywy 4y ago

Queenslanders work fine in Queensland, where the lows in winter are still double-digit C. Most of the world (or even Aus) isn't like that. A Queenslander in Canberra would have a massive heating bill 8 months of the year to keep it safely livable.

lll-o-lll 4y ago
I said “warm climate”, Canberra does not qualify. Also, plenty of Queensland is single digit C at times in winter, even zero. Then you put on a jumper, or use a bit of radiant heat if really soft.

abigail95 4y ago

Australians have a very strange relationship to insulation and temperature. Some might say it's the defining feature and purpose of having shelter is that we don't live at the mercy of the weather. I can't run a business with indoor temps from 24-31c during business hours. Compounding loss of brain function outside of 18-23c is found by every study I've read. The less exposure to particulate pollution and extreme temperature, the healthier you are, I can't see any arguments otherwise.

lll-o-lll 4y ago
Don’t generalise from me. I am a very strange Australian! From a business perspective, I think you are probably right. I don’t personally find cold affects my brain function (you can put on warm clothing right?), but heat probably does once we get above 30c. It’s summer right now in Aus, might be affecting some of my posting. For home though, I’m happy for the inside to be much the same as the outside. Mostly though, I just want the interface between my home and the natural world to be permeable. I think that’s good for mental health, and that the pros outweigh the cons. The thing is that you can’t have that and properly insulate it at the same time. So a choice has to be made, and I personally lean towards less insulation/more lizards. Having said that, we’re all different, whatever floats your boat. If you prefer plastic bubbles inside caves of steel, who am I to judge?

phyzome 4y ago

In that warm a climate, I don't think gas furnaces would be used much in the first place...