An oft cited aspect, by people working in retrofit, that they think mitigates against people taking up insulation measures is that insulation measures invisible, and I’ve been reflecting on that for a while. I am going to briefly unpick some aspects of whether the fact insulation is invisible is really a negative.
There are lots of other materials or systems within the home which are also invisible, but the effects are visible, and they are valued by people such as electricity, gas or water and sewage services. Indeed, the fact those measures are invisible but the effects are tangible is part of their appeal. Homes with exposed wires or gas pipes, let alone waste water or sewage pipes wouldn’t be considered to be safe or desirable. It’s true that with these measures there are still some aspects that are visible and have design considerations beyond the effect they have – light switches and plugs, hobs and taps. For the most part though, the other aspects are hidden away.
Then there are parts of homes that really are invisible or should be. Foundations, the materials used to construct lots of parts of floors, walls and ceilings. Generally if we can see the foundations it’s either because something intentional has happened – like getting an extension done, or a bad thing has happened and we’re trying to sort it out – like subsidence. Again, what’s happening between the internal walls, floors and ceilings is really invisible. There’s a layer we can see but being able to see those exposed parts of the building would be bad.
As it is with other aspects of the building that are invisible, having visible insulation wouldn’t be a positive. Insulation materials should be safely tucked away and if we can see them that’s a bad thing. Yet people seem to think differently about insulation in part because there’s a paradox whereby they seem to think it’s necessary for homes, while thinking it’s not needed and therefore occupies a different space to those aspects of the building structure that seem more fundamental.
There are other ways that the insulation can be made visible to people, through inclusion in condition surveys, references in letting or sales information, questions for mortgages or insurance. Whatever touchpoints already exist and any that might be developed over time are places where those details can be made clear to people.
So it doesn’t seem like the invisibility of insulation needs to be a bad thing, or it can’t be demonstrated in other ways. Really though, I think that view keeps niggling at me because it goes to a negative attitude that is not really in the can-do camp about the virtues of retrofit. If the people who are trying to convince others of the merits of getting works done are unable to articulate why something might be useful, and feel more comfortable talking about why the things that are being offered are a bit rubbish or hard to sell. And if people trying to encourage uptake are unable to get into a PMA about the measures, and it’s literally their job to do so, how can we be surprised when those who have less interest to start with aren’t buying?
