The short story about the Toasty Terrace and Drafty Dwelling

Once upon a time, on a chilly winter’s evening, two semi-detached houses stood side by side, braving the elements. Let’s call them Toasty Terrace and Drafty Dwelling. Toasty Terrace, the house on the left, had a makeover: 100mm of external wall insulation lovingly wrapped around it like a big, cosy winter coat. Drafty Dwelling, on the other hand, relied on its old, uninsulated cavity walls, shivering and losing heat like a sieve in a storm.

Now, if houses could talk, Drafty Dwelling would probably complain: “Why am I so cold all the time? And why are my energy bills sky-high?” Meanwhile, Toasty Terrace would be sitting smugly, sipping hot chocolate and basking in its newfound warmth. And the difference is clear in the thermal image. Toasty Terrace shows up in cool, calm blues, and its walls keep all the heat inside snug and efficient. Drafty Dwelling, however, glows in fiery reds and yellows as if it’s yelling, “Help! My heat is escaping!”

Of course, Toasty Terrace isn’t perfect. Around its windows, you’ll see small areas of thermal bridging where a bit of heat sneaks out. But compared to Drafty Dwelling, where heat pours out through the walls like water through a leaky bucket, those tiny spots of heat loss are nothing to worry about. Toasty Terrace still wins the comfort contest, hands down.

Here’s the best part: Toasty Terrace isn’t just keeping its residents warm; it’s also saving them a fortune on energy bills. Drafty Dwelling, on the other hand, is burning through money faster than it’s burning through heating fuel. And let’s not forget about the environment. Toasty Terrace is doing its bit to reduce carbon emissions, while Drafty Dwelling is sadly contributing to global warming with all that wasted energy.

But it’s not just about warmth and bills. Toasty Terrace also dodges the dreaded damp and condensation problems that often plague poorly insulated homes like Drafty Dwelling. You see, when walls stay warm, moisture doesn’t settle on them. It’s like magic, but really, it’s just good science.

So, what’s the moral of the story? Be like Toasty Terrace. Wrap your home in external wall insulation, and you’ll enjoy cosy winters, lower bills, and the satisfaction of knowing you’re saving the planet one brick at a time. As for Drafty Dwelling, maybe it’ll get the memo someday and finally stop glowing like a furnace on thermal cameras.