Last September, at the start of year 7, Aggy (Agatha) moved into the converted attic, which has two bedrooms under the pitched roof and a bathroom in the middle. Her old room on the first floor is now the study overlooking the street.
However, like many attic bedrooms across the UK’s ageing housing stock her room becomes an unbearable hot box in July and August. In truth, even before that – in the summer term – the temperature has been stopping her from sleeping properly. For Aggy, leaving the Velux windows open especially at night with a light on invites in bugs that bite and, even worse, clothes moths. Hence the proliferation of noisy fans.
Sarah* who lives with her family in a new-build house in Berkshire is considering selling because the whole house but particularly the attic bedrooms are too hot during the summer.
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That is simply not something most of us would have considered even a few years go but a recent study from Loughborough University estimates that one in five homes are unfit to handle the rising temperatures caused by climate change, with a lack of air conditioning (sometimes used in-conjunction with mechanical heat recovery ventilation systems), a modern love affair with glazing, poor insulation, and insufficient air vents.
Harriet Vine, the founder of the cult jewellery brand Tatty Devine, has just finished renovating her tall Victorian terraced house in Upper Clapton, adding a loft extension for her 17-year old daughter, which she wanted painting black (‘downpipe’ by Farrow & Ball). She did consider heat when she designed the space.
According to high-end buyer Roarie Scarisbrick of Property Vision, air conditioning is now firmly on the house hunter wishlist in the luxury property market in central London. “It used to be an exotic quirk, demanded by a handful of wealthy international buyers. Very few properties had it. Now it is one of the most requested items. A 30-degree summer day in a sixth floor London flat is no joke,” he says.
“It is fine if you own a freehold house with a garden to hide the condensers, but a nightmare if you own your own flat in the middle of a building with no outside space, and worse if it is listed,” Scarisbrick continues. “It is worth finding this out before you buy. It might not bother you, but a lack of air conditioning could make it harder to sell.”
Marion Baeli sits on the Government’s Retrofit System Reform Advisory Panel and is a partner at the global architecture practice 10 Design. Baeli believes air conditioning should be a last resort. “While air conditioning is effective, it should be a final measure due to its energy use and environmental impact,” she says.
External shading – such as external shutters or blinds – stops the sun’s rays before they hit the glass and where possible in an attic, create air flow by opening windows on both sides of the roof. Good roof insulation is a must too. “Good insulation slows down heat transfer, keeping attic rooms cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter, and especially effective when paired with reflective roofing materials,” she says. In fact, reflective roof tiles are becoming more popular for this very reason.
For the sophisticated gadget-lover, Venetia Rudebeck, co-founder of Studio Vero, recommends the Eight Sleep Pod smart mattress which actively regulates temperature during the night (from £2,998). It’s said to help with snoring too.
As for Aggy, she now has a relatively quiet, rechargeable, portable desktop fan – so no cables plugged in at night – from Amazon (TriPole, £14.99).
*name has been changed
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