Earlier this summer, my next door was complaining to me about how costly his electric bill had gotten due to running his
air conditioning
system. I was shocked when we compared inside temperatures and bill
amounts and realized that despite the fact that his house is a
single-level home and about 70 years newer than my 1920’s split-level,
his electric expense is considerably higher. “How can that be?” he asked
“That drafty old house should cost you an arm and a leg!” I replied “I
guess they just don’t make them like they used to!” Not until the last
few weeks did I realize just how right I was. That conversation got me
thinking about all the things about older homes that are basically
designed to conserve energy.
It makes sense, really. Air conditioning systems didn’t become a
common feature in American homes until after World War II, and homes
built before then had to have architectural and strategic features to
help them and their residents stay cool in the summer. Here is a
breakdown of some of those features, as well as a few extra tricks used
by our grandparents’ generation to avoid melting during the sweltering
heat of summer back in the “old days” before we became reliant on air
conditioning.
Interior Controls:
Wall Thickness
One of the biggest things about older homes that helped them conserve
energy was the thickness of the walls. The exterior walls of many
quality older homes were made of brick or stone, which provided a great
deal of insulation and protection from the outside weather. In fact, in
southern states where the weather got especially hot in the summer,
brick and stone walls were commonly made 12-24 inches thick, a huge
difference from the 2×4 or 2×6 lumber used in most modern construction.
While the thick stone walls kept heat from penetrating the house
during the day, they did absorb heat, which could more easily be
eliminated from the homes later in the day when cooler night air
prevailed. Which brings me to my second point:
Airflow, Airflow, Airflow!
The split-level designs of many older homes featured open stairwells
that freely and naturally allowed warm air to rise to the upper levels.
In fact, some older homes even had turrets or towers that sat above the
living spaces of the home to collect heat and allow it to be vented from
the home. Even without turrets, however, strategic opening of windows
in the home maximized the flow of cool air through the home. For
example, if the wind was from the west, basement or first-floor windows
would be opened on that side of the house, and on the opposite side of
the house, windows on the second floor would be opened to essentially
draw cool air through the house and eliminate heat with the natural
force of the outside breeze. Fans could also be used to increase this
effect.
In southern states, where basements are not as common, many homes
would actually be built on top of blocks that allowed breeze to flow
underneath the living space of the house all the time.
Higher Ceilings & Larger Windows
Another way that older homes facilitated air movement and removing
heat from living space was through higher ceilings. Most modern homes
are built with 8 foot ceilings being the standard, but in the pre-air
era, ceilings of 10-14 feet were very common. Naturally, heat tended to
rise to the ceiling while lower areas stayed cooler. Ceiling fans also
encouraged this effect, commonly used to draw heat upward in summer
months and to blow it downward in cooler months.
Another way that warm air could be eliminated from rooms in older
homes was through transoms, which were essentially small windows over
doorways. Transoms were very common in older homes, both over interior
and exterior doors to vent heat from the highest points of the room.
Over exterior doors, hinges and special hardware allowed the transoms to
be easily opened to allow airflow but still provided a degree of
security to the home.
Transoms weren’t the only way windows were used differently in the
old days, of course. Many older and historic homes had extra-large,
double-hung windows. During the day, the top window could be opened to
allow heat to escape near the ceiling, and at night, the bottom window
would be opened to let cooler air inside. Not only did windows tend to
be larger in the days before air-conditioning, there also tended to be
more of them. To control the heat of direct sunlight pouring through
these windows, large, heavy drapes were often used. Though there were
other ways to control the effects of the sun, which brings me to my next
point:
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As the latest coal-fuelled “airpocalypse” engulfed northern China this week and world leaders gathered in Paris to debate the fight against climate change, Nut Brother hit the streets of Beijing hoping to raise awareness of his country’s deadly smog crisis.
As the latest coal-fuelled “airpocalypse” engulfed northern China this week and world leaders gathered in Paris to debate the fight against climate change, Nut Brother hit the streets of Beijing hoping to raise awareness of his country’s deadly smog crisis.
