When decorating your home this Christmas, it is very important to consider what type of lighting you use. In order to avoid added costs to your electricity bill purchasing energy efficiency LED Christmas lights can help you save. LED’s require 70% less energy compared to traditional lights making them a cost effective choice in the long run.
In recent years LED Christmas lights have become more popular in Ireland with people upgrading to LED’s from their traditional Christmas lights as they are saving on their electricity bills.
In my last blog, I focused on some basic principles of Building Science that apply to most of our existing homes. I highlighted the following physical issues that can impact on thermal comfort and indoor-air quality. I outlined principles that can reduce space heating energy demand, by upgrading the building fabric’s elements that enclose all the external envelope of the house, such as the roof, external walls, ground floors, windows and external doors. This blog explored principles of science that can combat heat-loss, draughts, discomfort and poor indoor health conditions, such as:
If a house is made airtight, ventilation becomes critical to maintain air quality. To achieve good ventilation conditions, stale, humid, contaminated, oxygen depleted air needs to be removed from where it is generated and fresh air needs to be supplied to all habitable rooms. This is difficult to achieve and to control ventilation by simply opening windows or by depending on small permanent vents. Wind conditions vary, where some exterior surfaces will be exposed to face positive wind, blowing against the house. Simultaneously, other lea-ward surfaces are in negative pressure causing suction effects. This can occur where chimneys downdraught and create conditions of smoke fumes. 
By creating a continuous hermetic airtight layer, enclosing the complete envelope of the house, enclosed by the roof, external walls, windows and ground floor. This should be addressed by treating the house like a ‘balloon’ with no leaks or punctures for air to escape out. Warm, vapour-laden air, that’s generated in the inside of the house, under a driving pressure to the outside, should be prevented from seeping out, by providing a continuous membrane or air tight surface, preventing it from convecting and diffusing through the interior, warm side of the insulation, or through multiple small gaps that may occur at joints and junctions.
This work should be carried out on the outside of the insulation layer, of external walls, roof and ground floor, especially at critical junctions, such as at roof eaves, attic trap doors, chimneys/fireplace, dormer roofs and attic conversions, caulking and taping joints between block work walls and window frames. Also, opening sashes of windows and doorframes not draught-sealed, gaps around pipes, cables and cavity block walls that are dry-lined on the inside.
