The point of the thread is to establish if the windows are "perfectly good". We are upgrading insulation, thinking about going towards air tightness/MHRV, so its important to know if the windows are any good. i couldn't give a hoot about the aesthetics of the windows, front or back.I don't see the need for replacing perfectly good back windows. Who is going to be looking at them.
I consider a BER a waste of time, it's just common sense. Tier exist should be advising you on the best insulation etc.
No harm getting it priced. A 1920s building is likely very leaky, but the work you're getting done should greatly improve this.
It'll cost a little to run the fans, but you'll also be saving on heating costs by reducing the heat loss through regular ventilation.
I'm also interested in this, but know next to nothing about it. I would also be easily swayed because I often hear conflicting advice regarding insulation in general. Would you be able to recommend a book or website that would be good for a novice? Also, if you knew someone in the Cork area I would love a reference.
Sorry, only seeing this now. This SEAI [broken link removed] will give a background on a lot of the topics, Wikipedia can also be good, particularly the references supplied within articles. Unfortunately I don't have any recommendations on the Cork area though.
First thing i would buy when carrying out a project like this is a thermal imaging camera. Stop the guesswork.