All Questions
Tagged with heating insulation
60 questions
0
votes
1
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36
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Cover radiator enclosure with neoprene or polyurethane sheets to reduce overheating? Recommendations?
I've got hissing apartment radiators that don't close all the way in a poorly maintained building with cheapo landlords. Every winter we have had issues with radiators pumping out heat all day long ...
- 51
0
votes
1
answer
84
views
Cost impact of installing a heat pump vs. improving insulation
I have a gas heater for my 3,100 sqf house in the PNW, where winter temperatures tend to be around 30s-40s from December to February. I looked at my recent gas bills and am noticing pretty high ...
- 1,578
1
vote
1
answer
82
views
First finishing project: Attic or Basement for office/studio? [closed]
First time homeowner here, 100 year-old brick bungalo in Chicago where we have very cold Winters and hot Summers. I have my choice of an unfinished basement or unfinished attic to build my home office/...
- 13
1
vote
1
answer
2k
views
Is it okay to have an air handler in an uninsulated attic or will the air handler have to work harder?
We live in CT -- so cold winters. I don't know all the right/technical terms, but this is our situation:
Split level ranch (two floors plus attic)
Gas furnace and gas water heater in the basement
Air ...
- 259
0
votes
1
answer
434
views
Insulation in basement ceiling with no heat? [closed]
I have fiberglass insulation in my basement. It's been there since we bought the house, but our basement is not heated. I've heard this is possibly a bad idea.
I also think there may have been mice ...
- 9
1
vote
3
answers
360
views
Do I need insulation under electric floor heating in appartment bathroom?
I live in a large apartment house in Central Europe and I plan to add electric floor heating in my little bathroom for convenience. I own the appartment. The building has central heating units in the ...
- 705
0
votes
1
answer
120
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Air circulating upwards due to cold floors
I did an experiment in a bedroom of mine with a lot of incense, I got the room to the point where there was a thick cloud of smoke. What I noticed is that there was a constant upwards flow of smoke. I ...
- 457
0
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0
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484
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Cold air blows through supply vent when furnace is off
I have separate units for 2 floors. On 2nd floor , out of 3 room and big loft area only 2 rooms are always cold (like 55 degree during winter) when doors are closed.
These rooms have 2 supply vents ...
- 1
0
votes
1
answer
1k
views
New build house certain rooms not holding temperature
I've lived in my brand new house for just over a year now. It is semi detached with 3 bedrooms (master with en-suite, 2nd similar size to master, 3rd small box room) and I am finding that my small ...
- 564
2
votes
1
answer
382
views
Heat loss through window vs. holes
I'm renovating an old house, and I need to prioritize my work. Let's say we have three heat losses to be compared:
an old 2,00 x 1,00 meters single glazed window
a recent 2,00 x 1,00 meters window, ...
- 131
0
votes
0
answers
53
views
Insulating The House Windows for the NY (Long Island) Winter?
I've experimented around with room insulation before using bubble wrap over the windows, which was marginally effective, approximately doubling the small R value of the windows, this year, I decided ...
- 661
-1
votes
1
answer
1k
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How to heat treat the back of a moving truck to kill bed bugs [closed]
I'm moving. My current place has bed bugs. I don't want to bring them to my new place. Chemicals take months to kill bed bugs. Heat treatment takes hours.
If I rent a box truck from U-Haul and ...
- 138
20
votes
7
answers
7k
views
Why is my house energy efficient only in winter?
My electric utility company sent me a graph of my home's electricity usage over time as shown in the picture below. My home beats what the company considers as efficient homes in the neighborhood when ...
1
vote
1
answer
452
views
Vapour barrier for insulated, occasionally-heated Toronto shed?
I'm building an 8x12 garden shed in Toronto Canada (cold winters, fairly hot & humid summers). 2x4 construction, exterior Tyvek wrap, hardie siding onto studs, roof is metal standing seam over OSB ...
- 11
2
votes
3
answers
3k
views
Do Low-E window films help with winter heat insulation?
We are experiencing cold winters.
Just curious if window Low-E tinting (or others options) on actual windows help with heat insulation or if it's just a gimmick. I am referring to actual film (seen ...
- 388
3
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Is there a reason to replace 50 year old metal ducting in the crawlspace with modern insulated flexible ducting?
My concern is heat loss in the chilly crawlspace. No AC here, only forced air gas furnace.
The existing metal ducting in the crawl space is over 50 years but is intact. There is a very thin layer of ...
- 111
-1
votes
1
answer
83
views
Does effective insulation of concreate block contribute more to energy efficiency in hot weather or cold weather [closed]
I am building a grout filled CMU house in the Ozarks. I have limited funds at this point and so I would like to focus my budget on thermal control where it will be needed most (i.e. heating / cooling)....
- 121
0
votes
1
answer
113
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Are freezers afected by subfreezing temperatures, (weather)
A side-by-side refrigerator-freezer that was in a garage during the recent cold spell in Texas acted odd, the freezer became warm and everything melted. The refrigerator side did not show any ...
- 683
0
votes
1
answer
658
views
Safe wrapping for fiberglass around pipes?
If I wrap pipes with fiberglass for insulation but I'm worried about the health risks of exposed fiberglass, is there something that I could wrap around the fiberglass? If so, what and why?
- 471
0
votes
1
answer
194
views
Why isn't my window film insulation kit causing water damage?
My understanding is that insulating inside of a window can lead to condensation problems on the outside (see answer to this question). I have been using insulating window film kits for a few years and ...
- 471
-1
votes
1
answer
127
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Insulate my window with water heater blankets?
I have some windows that I want to insulate at night during the winter. Would it make sense to use water heater blankets, doing something or other to secure the edges?
I'm wondering
whether you think ...
- 471
2
votes
2
answers
363
views
Will replacing windows significantly reduce solar heat gain in summer?
A friend of mine is remodeling his 1980s house and was asking advice about keeping it cooler in the summer. The house currently has the original double pane windows, many of which have "popped&...
- 23.3k
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3
answers
1k
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Will fiberglass insulation grow mold? (Florida)
Followup to this question
one of the comments says that fiberglass can trap moisture and lead to mold/mildew. I did some research myself and found other sources saying the same.
This worries me -- ...
- 1,070
1
vote
2
answers
2k
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Should I COMPRESS fiberglass OR use foam insulation?
I have a room made of hollowed concrete blocks that I framed by mounting 2x4s, wide side against the wall. This gives me a 1.5in depth cavity to fill with insulation.
Should I use an r19 fiberglass ...
- 1,070
0
votes
2
answers
1k
views
Stop pipe from banging without removing floorboards
We have a pipe that bangs for a while right when we turn the heating on. I managed to isolate where the pipe is (under the floorboards on one room), the problem is that I can't lift the floorboards ...
- 101
1
vote
0
answers
2k
views
Is insulating the back of a PTAC unit for winter a good idea?
The winter heat in my apartment is supplied by old PTAC (Packaged Terminal Air Conditioner) units, using resistance heat (it's too cold for the heat pump to work). A lot of cold outside air leaks ...
- 11
0
votes
2
answers
255
views
Most efficient way to improve my house's heating
I live in the mid-Atlantic in a 100 year old house, and I'm looking for a way to reduce my heating bill. Last winter, I left the thermostat at 68F, and our gas bills were incredibly high, despite ...
- 133
0
votes
2
answers
465
views
How can I improve my crawlspace's heating efficiency in the winter?
Home is located in NE Pennsylvania. Some details:
Crawlspace
Runs entirety of the home's footprint (~1000sqft)
Approximately 5' high
1/2 (2.5') Below grade
Vapor barrier on the floor, sump pump
...
- 111
0
votes
3
answers
257
views
Insulating small area in attic-like space
I recently moved into (am renting) a new place and have set up a desk in an attic like space. It's overall not an ideal setup but I have limited financial resources. The issue I am facing right now is ...
- 173
0
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0
answers
88
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Insulation for crawl space with framed wall and foundation
I am encapsulating my crawl space, but not sure what to do with walls above the foundation. At least part of this area could have been a basement I guess, but I am needing to deal with this area due ...
- 171
0
votes
1
answer
144
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What type of tradesman do I need if the downstairs of my house is too cold
I have bought a home and in winter the extremities of the ground floor are very cold. The original part of the building is the centre, and it has been extended in the front and the back. The main ...
- 101
1
vote
4
answers
5k
views
Covering a Window with insulation
I am a college student living in a cheap rental. I have a window in my bedroom that leaks a lot of cold air. I live in a northern climate, and during this recent cold snap my heater can't keep up. The ...
- 11
4
votes
2
answers
15k
views
What is the R-Value of plastic over a window?
So we're about to have a cold snap (20 degrees, cold for us here in Central Texas). I have old windows on the house in need of replacement, but for now, I did a hack for the next week/month: I placed ...
- 462
0
votes
0
answers
848
views
8 in thimble, 6 in pipe
I just installed a wood stove in the addition I built for my trailer. My father-in-law insisted on going and buying me an 8 inch thimble for my stove pipe to run through the wall. My stove pipe is ...
1
vote
2
answers
141
views
Roofing insulation nightmare
We bought a house built in 1972. It has cathedral ceilings and tongue and groove throughout. The house is u shaped and the tongue and groove is not only the ceilings but the north and south walls, ...
- 11
3
votes
2
answers
10k
views
How to insulate around heater exhaust vent pipe?
In the winter I noticed that my garage (and the den next to it) get really cold by the morning. As in very close to the outside temp cold. I didn't know where to borrow tools to detect where the leak ...
- 627
1
vote
1
answer
629
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Considering replacing blown cellulose on attic floor with open cell spray foam. Should I just leave well enough alone?
EDIT WITH NEW COMMENTS/QUESTION:
Begin edit/
Ok...a few thoughts based on your replies:
1) I totally agree that the insulation guy is selling something. Roger that. At the same time, the GC I've ...
- 11
1
vote
3
answers
1k
views
Garage Conversion and HVAC
What is the best way to bring heating and cooling to an attached garage? Our HVAC is being replaced, and our large family needs the garage for living space. Wed be going from 1500 sq feet, to 1900 ...
- 11
0
votes
1
answer
257
views
What is the best way to convert a garage to livable space? [closed]
Garage Conversion
We have an attached garage that has finished walls with no insulation, angled roof with no insulation and exposed rafters, and a new roll up uninsulated garage door. It has a side ...
- 1
0
votes
1
answer
4k
views
Safe to put old white paper-backed fiberglass insulation on metal ductwork?
We live in a very old house with an unfinished basement. The heat for the entire main floor is from a furnace in that basement that blows through the square style ductwork to vents placed in each room ...
- 3
3
votes
1
answer
889
views
How would I install hydronic floor heat on top of a rigid foam insulated basement floor? [closed]
I intend to finish a part of my basement following this guideline from Fine Homebuilding and Building Science. There are two options I could come up with for installing hydronic radiant heat ...
- 2,286
4
votes
4
answers
2k
views
How can I add thermal mass to my house?
We're part of a real-time pricing program with our electric utility company, and a good strategy for offsetting electricity use during peak demand times is to pre-cool the house. The more thermal ...
- 1,450
2
votes
3
answers
823
views
Insulate ceiling, walls, or garage door?
I live in Ohio and have created a golf stimulator in my attached garage. The garage typically stays around 10 degrees warmer than the outside without wall insulation except the interior wall.
I can ...
- 4,384
0
votes
1
answer
157
views
Improving insulation on windows and preventing heat loss
Here are the images of my window (currently it's 18F/-8C outside, 74F/23C inside):
Now, this condensation / ice forming gets even worse - on some days whole bottom of the window from the first ...
- 133
4
votes
2
answers
3k
views
Will batt insulation ignite if it is laying against my steam pipes?
I have steam pipes behind a wall that I loosely packed R30 batt insulation against. Is there a possibility that the insulation will ignite?
0
votes
1
answer
203
views
What is the correct Air Flow change per hour for my house?
I recently just got my house air sealed. Before air sealed the Building Air Standard (BAS) was 1.4 now it is 1.2.
Based off a 1300 sq ft house. What should the BAS be? Is there a calculator to ...
- 81
0
votes
1
answer
5k
views
Help needed to calculate the R value of a brick veneer wall (house built in 1958)?
I live in a house that was built in 1958. I am looking for the R value of my brick veneer walls. For that I would need to know how the wall was built (there should be the brick, some sheating, ...
- 3,529
1
vote
3
answers
32k
views
Why is one bedroom colder than the rest of the house?
I had a home built last year and we have one bedroom that is 6-10 degrees colder than the rest of the rooms in the house when its cold outside.
The heat is radiant and the system has temperature ...
- 11
5
votes
1
answer
876
views
What to do first in a house with poor thermal performance and high energy bills
I just moved into a house and am a little bit disappointed in its thermal performance so far. It's winter and cold outside, and the furnace heats the house up pretty quickly, but then the house gets ...
- 12.6k
1
vote
2
answers
808
views
Preventing a frozen pipe on an extreme weather night
Last week, we had a night that got down to -18F. In the middle of the night, the cold-water pipe going to the kitchen sink froze (but luckily did not burst). After some investigation, it turns out ...
- 5,155