Cast your minds back to the ’70s, the days of Abba, Grease and Bell bottoms, the latest cars being sold with seat belts, claiming compliance to “California Motor vehicle standards”. At that time seat belts in cars and similarly crash helmets for a motorcycle rider were felt, by many, to be overweening laws restricting personal freedoms. Roll forward to the new millennium and those, now seemingly arcane, attitudes are playing out in the current debate on Building Code changes in housing. Many resistant to change bemoan the constant code updates requiring greater rigor and the accompanying continuous upgrading required for builders and professionals to keep abreast. Is this progress or some green-crazed hippy shangrila?

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“ Our second floor is boiling in the summer and the basement is FREEZING!”

In the dog days of July, this often-heard lament from sleep deprived, disappointed homeowners resonates with some of our childhood experiences. Back in the day, the only solution in high summer was to go into the basement for a restful sleep, unless you were among the privileged who had AC in the 60’s and 70’s; a luxury we now take for granted. So, what can you do about it? There are a many potential sources of heat loss and heat gain affecting the comfort of your home:

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