New is Old

What is “new” is old

Many of the “new” technologies we are embracing for new home design and renovation planning are not new at all. They are often old ways of conserving energy. I would like to use the example of my grand parents’ farm in the Peterborough area.

The home faced south, with large maples to shade the home in summer, but letting sunlight warm to enter the home in winter. Lathe and plaster walls and wood floors allowed for thermal heating in the winter. Spruce trees on the west side acted as both a wind break and provided afternoon shade. The house had high ceilings allowing heat to rise up through the home and out the upper windows. Windows were on all sides for summer breeze flow. Rainwater was collected from the gutters and stored in a huge basement cistern, which provided wash-water and a summer cooling. The home wasn’t perfect. It took a lot of wood and in later years, oil heat to keep warm in winter, but it worked.