Renovation & Design
Renovation & Design
Plug the air leaks, save on heat
The icy days of winter are coming, and there's a lot you can do to save on your heating bills besides wearing an extra sweater or two.One easy step is to buy a programmable thermostat for as little as $40. It will automatically lower your home's temperature when you're away or asleep.
But if you're looking for more savings, especially considering soaring fuel prices, you'll have to embark on a more complex task: seeking out and plugging air leaks. Doing so can reduce heating costs by up to 20 per cent, according to the Washington-based Alliance to Save Energy.
Heating bills this winter could be piggy-bank breakers, particularly for low-income households in colder parts of North America. Households who use heating oil for fuel are projected to be hit hardest.
Those families will pay about 36 per cent more than last year.
"There's going to be real sticker shock this coming winter," said Mark Wolfe, executive director of the National Energy Assistance Directors' Association, which represents state-run low-income energy assistance programs.
In Maine, where four of every five houses use expensive oil heat, concern about soaring fuel costs is mounting.
"We have a serious problem," said Dale McCormick, director of Maine's state housing agency. "This winter is going to be our (hurricane) Katrina."
Harald Schmidtke, weatherization director with Southeastern Vermont Community Action, a community group that performs energy improvements for low-income households, said he has a nine-month waiting list for such assistance, which is provided free of charge with federal and state funding.
"There are people that are making hard choices between food, fuel (and) medicines," he said. "It's a big burden for people who are already struggling."
Built in an era of cheap fuel, many older houses didn't take heating costs into account. Air can escape through unused chimneys, interior walls and recessed lights. Plus, some older homes have poor insulation or none at all.
"You're basically paying to reheat the same volume of air over and over again," said David Milliken, general manager of Horizon Energy Services in Maine.
If you know where your leaks are, handy homeowners can do much of the work themselves, using foam and caulking to seal up gaps and cracks, putting weather stripping on windows and doors, and insulating pipes and ductwork.
The U.S. government's Energy Star program recommends that consumers plug the biggest holes first, particularly in spaces where interior and exterior walls meet the attic floor.
Though insulation helps, experts say that simply adding more isn't enough, because air can pass through fibreglass and other materials. Dirty insulation is a sign that air is moving through.
"People assume insulation tightens up your house, and that's completely false," said Richard Riegel Burbank, president of Evergreen Home Performance in Rockland, Maine.
For $250 to $700, a professional energy auditor will analyze how much heat your house loses to leaky cracks, holes and other openings like your chimney.
To do so, the auditor will hook up a contraption that attaches to a door frame and uses a high-speed fan to suck air out of the house, lowering its air pressure.
Then the energy auditor can detect and measure where air is entering your house, sometimes using a pen-like instrument that emits a bit of smoke to show where air is entering. They also use infrared cameras to detect particularly leaky spots.
Christian Townsend hired Milliken's company in late August to evaluate the renovated 200-year-old house in downtown Portland, Me., that he uses as an office with his wife, a real estate broker.
"It's like a sieve," he said. "It's just leaking from everywhere."
Townsend, a tugboat and towboat designer, paid around $2,000 a month to heat the building last winter and is hoping to reduce that bill to $1,500 by switching from oil to natural gas heat and by plugging up leaks.
Other more expensive projects, such as replacing windows or installing a new furnace, make economic sense only if they were due for a replacement anyway, experts say.
For example, spending thousands to replace your windows is not particularly cost-effective, because even the most energy-efficient windows still lose heat, said Mike Rogers, senior vice-president with Syracuse, N.Y.-based GreenHomes America, which performs energy audits and installs upgrades.
Said Rogers: "You're not going to see the energy savings that, unfortunately, the window industry might have promised you."
-- Associated Press
Renovation & Design
There's no place like home -- for shopping
We are so fortunate to have many different ways to shop for home décor products. We can shop in the store and see the items first hand, we can shop online and open up our world of choices to infinite possibilities, and we can also shop right from the comfort in our home at a home party. The third alternative is a fun way to get together with friends in a social environment while tackling the chore of home décor shopping. It's a fun way to get advice from friend and family while you make choices for your home.There are a few recognizable companies that offer the home shopping experience that have been around for decades. Here are a few that you may not have considered in the past that have now branched into the home décor arena.
Tupperware
Tupperware parties were all the rage back in my younger days. The array of storage and serving solutions for the home are outstanding and are a real asset to any home. A cluttered kitchen will detract from any decorating you do, so it's a good idea to keep your storage solutions in mind. A Tupperware home party is a fun way to get together, shop and streamline your kitchen. I checked out their website recently and they now have lovely cookware sets available as well as the old standbys, which are fun and colourful. www.tupperware.ca
PartyLite
The PartyLite experience fills the senses -- literally. Lovely scented candles are a popular part of this company's offering, but the ranges of decorative candle holders will add tonnes of drama to your home décor. They are constantly adding new design lines to their accessories, so there's always something new to look at. From African-inspired candle holders and sconces to a line of Thai-inspired holders and accessories, there is something for every taste. Shopping with friends at a home party is a fun way to test the scents of the candles as well as getting a hands-on look at many of the accessories available. With winter coming, there's nothing cosier on a dark, cold night than having a room filled with exotic candle holders burning scents like coconut milk chocolate or orchid and pink peppercorn. Yum! www.partylite.com
Avon
Avon has been around forever, it seems. Great products brought right to your door. Avon used to carry the odd home décor product, like collectible perfume bottles and decanters, but now they have taken a step into the realm of home décor. Avon Expressions is their fairly new line, offering linens, furniture slipcovers, accent lamps and even small furniture items like ottomans and accent tables. Though Avon doesn't normally sell through home parties, you can purchase items through a sales representative/brochure, and the items are usually delivered right to your home. They also offer shopping online now as well, so check out their website: www.avon.ca for info on the home décor products.
Stampin' Up!
Stampin' Up! is a company that has a new line of home décor products that has spun off their successful rubber-stamp business. The rubber-stamp line is for the scrapbooker or for those who prefer to make their own greeting cards and such. Their new line, called Décor Elements, offers a range of self-adhesive vinyl art (and lettering) for walls, mirrors, or any smooth, flat surface of the home. They are sort of like appliqués, but are removable and reusable. Our feature photo shows how that little extra touch adds interest and dimension to a space. These would be great in a home office, small business or any room in the home. I love the changeability and versatility of this product, because you can change it on a whim. These products are available through a sales representative at a home party. Check out their website for more info: www.stampinup.com
I'm sure there are more direct-sales (home-party) companies out there, but you get the idea. It's nice to have yet another option for home décor shopping. Each company offers its own unique products that each have intrinsic value for the home decorator. Aside from that, shopping at a party with food and friends is never a bad idea!
Happy home shopping!
Am I nuts?
I received an e-mail from a reader about the Back to School article that ran on Aug. 31, 2008. I had mentioned packing a "nut-mix snack" for the kids, which was a faux pas on my part. The reader informed me that most schools and day cares do not allow nut products due to allergies. I concur. Thanks for the correction. My apologies for the oversight.
Connieoliver@shaw.ca
Renovation & Design
solutions 15 ways to end laundry-room nightmares
After picking her son up from summer camp a mother noticed that he had on seven pairs of underwear. "Why are you wearing seven pairs of underwear dear?" she asked. The boy answered, "Well, you told me to put on a fresh pair everyday."
1. If you choose to clean your sheer voile blouse, beaded top, fringed silk shawl, or lace trimmed dress at home, tie the articles in a cotton pillow case and knot it closed. Wash in cold water on a regular cycle. Hang to dry and steam iron or steam in the shower.
2. To clean baseball caps without destroying their shape, place them on the top rack of the dishwasher and run through a complete cycle.
3. A better idea than using dangerous smelly mothballs is to place leftover soap slivers into a vented plastic bag. Place the seasonal clothes into the bag and pack them away. Fabrics will smell great and stay protected.
4. If you don't have a sleeve board, insert a rolled-up towel into sleeves so they can be pressed without leaving creases. Or make your own sleeve board using a cardboard tube covered with soft fabric.
5. Reduce wrinkles, preserve fabrics and avoid shrinking textiles by not putting clothes in the dryer on a heat setting. As soon as the wash load is finished, give your shirts a shake and hang to dry. On that same note, lay sweaters to dry. Once the shirts and sweaters have air dried put them in the dryer on a cool setting.
6. Pit stains got you down? Make a paste of baking soda and water. Apply to yellow underarm stains and let sit. Wash in hot sudsy water.
7. Speaking of pits, let's talk fire pits; Save your dryer lint. If you have a wood stove or fire pit, use lint as a fire starter rather than purchasing chemical-laden fire starters.
8. If you have really greasy or soiled clothes pour one can of Coke into a hot bath of water and add in greasy or soiled clothes. Swish and soak. Wash as usual in hot water.
9. Make your own fabric softener! Combine 2-cups white vinegar, 2-cups baking soda and 4-cups water. Allow fizz to subside and pour into a lidded plastic bottle. Shake and add one-quarter cup to each load or pour into a "Downy Ball".
10. Black clothing tends to look brown after several washings. To restore the black colour, add coffee or strong tea to the rinse water.
11. To iron embroidered linens, place the linen with the embroidered side down over a white terry towel then press (wrong side up). This will help preserve the direction of the stitching without flattening it. You can also do this in reverse: first lay the embroidered side up, and then put a terry towel on top and press.
12. Keep a few hangers on a small bar or hook in your laundry room, so you can hang wrinkle-prone items up as soon as you remove them from the dryer.
13. Don't overload your dryer, as it can result in excessive wrinkling. The best load of laundry is one that mixes items of varying sizes. This allows clothing to move much more fluidly in the washing machine and keeps the clothing fully washed, fully rinsed, and undamaged. Although a full or queen sized quilt may weigh only seven pounds, it could still be too big for your top loading washing machine. Front loaders are much more able to tolerate large items, still get them clean and keep them protected. Check your manufacturer's instructions to see specific information for your machine.
14. Aroma addition; if you are using a tumble dryer, add a few drops of your favourite essential oil to a dampened scrap of flannel and put it in the dryer near the end of the cycle.
15. Invest in a three-compartment laundry sorter to make easy work out of keeping clothes separated. Separate by colour as you put clothes into the hamper and save the step of going through hampers and hampers full of laundry one item at a time. By sorting-as-you-go, when you see a full compartment in your hamper, it is simple to throw the load in.
Solutions is compiled from various sources; laundry-alternative.com, kitchen.robbiehaf.com, housekeeping.about.com, home.howstuffworks.com, tipnut.com, adviceopedia.org, thefrugalshopper.com, washing-machine-wizard.com, greenfootsteps.com. Thanks to all who contributed! Similar information may be found elsewhere.
Solutions sleuth Reena Nerbas is a home economist and speaks professionally on the topic of household challenges; she is also the author of two national bestsellers, Household Solutions 1 with Substitutions and Household Solutions 2 with Kitchen Secrets. She can be heard on radio and television programs across Canada.
www.householdsolutions.org
Renovation & Design
Tackling crawl space insulation, ventilation
111Do I really have to cover the panels to provide a thermal barrier? There is no source of flame or direct heat in that area and for me to haul pieces of drywall through a two-foot-square opening to the crawl space is a difficult task. They would have to be cut into small pieces to get into that area plus I would have to build a stud wall on top of the Styrofoam to accommodate the drywall.Can I apply a layer of Reflectix foil insulation over the insulation? It comes in easy to handle rolls and I am assuming that it will provide a minimal thermal barrier.
--Dave Magrel, e-mail
QUESTION -- I live in a three-level split house that has a crawl space under the main living area. The crawl space has a concrete floor and the foundation walls are uninsulated.
Consequently, the hardwood floors on the main floor are very cool and uncomfortable in the winter. We would like to insulate the foundation walls in the crawl space. There are two vents on one of the foundation walls in the crawl space. A previous owner put some insulation over the vents from the inside, so they are not open.
Is it necessary to have these vents in the foundation? From what I've read on the Internet, much of the talk of venting a foundation is for crawl spaces with dirt floors which are more prone to excess moisture than a concrete slab floor. The crawl space is heated in winter and cooled in summer via a pipe from our forced-air heating/cooling ductwork.
What I was thinking of doing is having a contractor insulate the crawl space walls with closed-cell polyurethane foam insulation, which would provide insulation as well as an air/vapour barrier. If the vents are permanently closed over, can I expect moisture problems? What's the best thing to do?
Also, does insulation in a crawl space have to be covered will a fire-retardant layer such as drywall?
--Eric Poppleton, e-mail
ANSWER -- While these two inquiries are not identical, they both relate to insulation of a crawl space from the interior. For that reason, I thought they would be ideal to answer together and address both the insulation and ventilation issues.
The first thing to address is your question about ventilation of the crawl space. While you are quite correct that this is much more important in crawl spaces with dirt floors, having functioning vents in any crawl space will be an advantage. Passive ventilation of any crawl space in the warm months will help improve airflow and reduce the possibility of condensation and moisture build-up. Any confined space, like your crawl space, may be subject to extra moisture issues due to limited air circulation and opening these vents in the non-heating seasons will help in this regard. A simple way to accomplish this would be to make removable, insulated covers out of rigid foam insulation, for installation in the cold months.
I am impressed that both of you have decided to use different types of foam insulation, which is much more preferable for use in crawl spaces than the traditional wood stud and Fiberglas method. This will prevent air leakage to the cool concrete behind the insulation and moisture damage to the wood framing. Covering either type of insulation may not be critical, but will be much more possible with the rigid foam. I would not be in a hurry to use a product like that reflective material. The products I have seen have air-filled plastic bubbles inside a very thin layer of aluminum foil covering, which may not provide much more of a fire barrier than the uncovered insulation.
The same reason that blown-in polyurethane is a better alternative than the rigid foam panels makes it much tougher to cover with drywall or other fire-retardant materials. The blown-in foam conforms much better to the foundation walls and fills small gaps and areas between the floor joists that may be difficult to accomplish with the sheets of Styrofoam. Because of that, sheathing this uneven surface will be difficult.
Alternatively, installation of drywall over rigid foam may be done more easily by simply gluing the drywall to the insulation and supporting it in place until the adhesive cures. You do not have to install a complete wood frame wall over the foam sheathing, but you could install wood strapping over the insulation in a few areas for additional support.
The final thing to address is the need for the sheathing over the insulation, altogether. The main reason for this fire-retardant barrier is to provide a means of preventing toxic fumes emanating from the insulation during a fire. The sheathing will prevent fire from easily and quickly burning the plastic foam insulation, but will not eliminate the possibility. However, this may delay the release of toxic smoke long enough to allow occupants to escape to safety. While I believe precautions for fire safety in homes is paramount, covering this insulation should not be the highest priority.
I constantly see many other exposed plastic products piled up in basements and crawl spaces, so covering the foam insulation may not be essential as long as other fire-prevention items are properly addressed. Operational smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, fire extinguishers and properly installed and maintained fireplaces and wood stoves are much more critical. I would much prefer to see that these items are in place, as well as removal of excess basement storage and a plan for escape during fire, rather than properly covered insulation.
Ari Marantz is the owner of Trained Eye Home Inspection Ltd. and the President of the Canadian Association of Home & Property Inspectors - Manitoba (www.cahpi.mb.ca). Questions can be e-mailed or sent to: Ask The Inspector, P. O. Box 69021, #110-2025 Corydon Ave., Winnipeg, MB. R3P 2G9. Ari can be reached at (204) 291-5358 or check out his website at www.trainedeye.ca.
trainedeye@iname.com
