More do-it-yourself hints on how to keep the house warm

Press, 13 April 1978, Page 13

More do-it-yourself hints on how to keep the house warm

(Continued from previous page.)

“fishmouths,” at vapour barrier edges when you are insulating walls. Keep the edges tight against the studs. Ventilation above the insulation of the attic is necessary both winter and summer. In winter, the insulation keeps heat inside the living space below while the open vents let moisture vapour escape. In summer, the moving air lessens attic heat build-up. Always provide at least two vent openings, located so that air can flow in one and out the other. A combination of vents at the eaves and at the gable ends is better than gable vents alone. A combination of eaves vents and continuous ridge venting is best of all. Here are the. minimum amounts of attic vent area your home should have: Combination of eaves vents and gable vents without a vapour barrier — Isq. ft inlet and Isq ft outlet for each 600 sq. ft of ceiling area, with at least half the vent area at the tops of the gables and the balance at the eaves. Gable vents only with a vapour barrier — Isq. ft inlet and Isq. ft outlet for each 600 sq. ft of ceiling area. Gable vents only without a vapour barrier —

• Do not insulate on top of recessed lighting fixtures, motors, and other heatproducing equipment that protrudes through the attic floor. • Do not cover eaves vents with insulation. With batts, just be careful about batt placement. With pouring insulation, either construct a baffle with boards or lay pieces of thick batts next to the vents; you will keep the wind from disturbing the loose wool and you will not inadvertently cover the vents in the first place. • Do not allow vapour barriers to be exposed. Cover them with gypsum board or some other non-com-bustible covering. Do not allow “breather” paper to be exposed, either. Breather paper is the covering around the non-vapour-barrier side (the side without flanges) of some batts. It is intended only to protect the insulation fibres during shipment and installation. Strip it off after the batts are in place. • Do not allow gaps or

Isq. ft inlet and isq. ft outlet for each 300 sq. ft of ceiling area. Windows and doors can be big energy-wasters. There are three reasons: Glass itself is a highly heat-conductive material. Doors and windows that open (all except “fixed sash” or picture windows) necessarily have cracks all around them. Air can pass through the joints around window and door frames if they are not tightly sealed. Storm windows and storm doors cut heat loss (or heat gain) about in half. Insulating glass (two

panes of glass sealed together at the edges) has approximately the same effect. Triple glazing (insulating glass plus a storm window) is even more effective and often is used in extremely cold climates. According to the American National Bureau of Standards, an investment in storm windows will pay for itself in a decade, including interest costs at 6 per cent, and thereafter return an annual dividend of 13 per cent, where the average winter temperature is similar to that of Washington, D.C.

In regions where snow lies on the ground all winter, payback will occur in less than seven years.

Storm windows and doors can be installed by a contractor or a skilled home handyman. Using prehung doors, which are already assembled to frames, makes the job easier. Plastic sheeting, available in hardware stores, makes effective storm sash. It should be taped to the inside of windows and glass portions of doors. An inexpensive material, it is often used by people who rent their homes. Other types of plastic storm windows also are made for do-it-yourself installation. Weatherstripping can be installed by a person of average do-it-yourself capability. Many different types are available — felt strips, foam rubber, flexible vinyl, spring bronze, and others. The advice of a knowledgeable hardware store salesman will help in making a choice.

Window sash and doors should be weatherstripped on all sides and tops and bottoms. Do not overlook the meeting rail where the top and bottom sash of doublehung windows come together.

Insulate attic living space as indicated in the diagram: 1. Between “collar beams.” 2. Between sloping rafters. Be sure to leave an air space for ventilation between the insulation and the roof deck (select insulation thickness accordingly). 3. Between the studs of “knee walls.” 4. Between the joists of the floor outside the living space. 5. Dormer walls. 6. Dormer ceilings.