It also turns out that some home improvement projects can have the same effect on architects.  In January, I started the seemingly simple project of painting the living room.

The first step was to do a little prep and repair work on the existing plaster: scrape down the high spots, patch a few cracks and replace a few small areas that had been poorly repaired in the past.

“Sweetie, while you are at it, what would it take to remove those ugly, old, non-functioning baseboard radiators?”  I figured a few hours to rip them out, a few hours to patch the plaster and a few hours to install new baseboard.  All in all, not too much extra work for a much better result.

Let’s just say that the baseboard radiators pulled off more of the plaster than expected.

In the midst of working I realized that the inside face of the windows was warmer than the inside face of the walls and that the Living room was rather uncomfortable.

“What if I insulated  the exterior walls?”

For about $400 I could add two layers of 3/4″ R-5 rigid insulation and a layer of 1/2″ gypsum board, and the energy savings woudl pay for this in about three years.

I finished installing the vapor barrier today and started hanging the gypsum board.  The steps that led up to this:

• Remove baseboard radiators,
• Remove window casing, sills and stools,
• Remove wooden fireplace mantle,
• Insulate double hung window counterweight pockets,
• Repair double hung window counterweights,
• Cut back carpeting,
• Install insulation and furring strips, and
• Install blocking for hanging pictures and window treatments,

More detailed descriptions of these steps shall follow in future posts.

Dan Bossenbroek.

Many construction dumpsters are loaded with 2×4’s and 2×6’s that used to be packing crates, extra concrete block that is cheaper to throw away than to restock, glass that was cut to the wrong size and is either too small or more expensive to re-cut than to have new glass made.  In other words, perfectly good materials are headed for the recycling center or even worse, the landfill.

So how can you get your hands on all this great stuff for your energy saving home improvement project?  The best way that I have found is to develop a good relationship with a contractor.  Always keep in mind that they are doing you a favor by allowing you to take this extra material off of their hands.  It’s still easier for them just to throw it in the dumpster than to set is aside for you, so you may want to think of some way to reciprocate.

Another possible source of low cost or free materials are manufacturers.  More and more manufacturers are recycling and reusing more and more of their waste materials, but there are still some small companies that don’t generate enough waste or it varies too much to justify the cost of a recycling program.  You might have some luck contacting a company that manufactures custom millwork, or equipment.

No matter which route you take, I encourage you to help divert waste materials from the landfill and reap the extra benefit of getting cheap and/or free materials for your own DIY energy saving projects.

Dan Bossenbroek

I grew up in a house with a whole house fan, and no air-conditioning.  The fan was great when the temperature went down into the 60’s at night, it pulled cool air throughout the entire house and cooled it down quite nicely.  It even helped after those scorching hot days when the temperature only dropped to the mid 80’s at night, it kept a gentle breeze flowing throughout the house all night.  I’m sure it saved my parents hundreds of dollars even back then, and installing one in your house can save you up to 50% on your cooling bills every year or up to 90% if you eliminate conventional air conditioners all together. 

One of the great benefits of whole house fans is that they will cool your house to a lower temperature than an air conditioner will when the temperature outside at night drops lower than the temperature that your air conditioner is set to.  Thus, not only will it suck the hot air out of your house, but it will also suck some of the heat absorbed in the walls, floors and ceilings out of your house out too.  Then in the morning, when the temperature is the lowest, close all of the windows in order to keep the heat of the day out.  In this way you will start the day with a nice cool house that can absorb a fair amount of heat as the temperature climbs outside before the interior starts to become uncomfortable.  The more thermal mass such as masonry or plaster walls, concrete, hardwood and/or tile floors that a house has, the more heat it can absorb during the day and be exhausted by the fan at night.

The two possible downsides to a whole house fan are the noise of the fan and the introduction of allergens into the house.  The fan we had growing up provided a constant hum that just became a nice background noise and actually helped to put me to sleep.  Many of the fans available today are quieter than those made in the past, and many of them have a low speed setting so that they operate even more quietly.  With respect to allergens, if someone in the house has a problem with seasonal summertime allergies then you probably shouldn’t consider a whole house fan.

Two precautions that you should take are to and to seal all of the holes and cracks between the house and the attic and to make sure that you have adequate ventilation form your attic to the outside.  There should be about one square foot of clear vent space to the outside from the attic for every 750 cfm of fan volume.  If these precautions are not taken the fan will push hot dusty air right back in to your house.

Conserve energy and enjoy natural cool night breezes this summer.  Turn off your air conditioner, and save hundreds of dollars by cooling your house with a whole house fan.

Dan Bossenbroek

The reasons for the increase in popularity of Cork Flooring are numerous.  Cork is appropriate for any room in the house, even kitchens and baths.  It is soft, warm and quiet under foot, great for walking around barefoot.  Like hardwood flooring, it will not harbor allergens and it is easily maintained.  Furthermore, not only is it make from a rapidly renewable resource, but from the recycled remains of the wine cork making process.  Home Improvement and Level 6

Click Here to shop for Cork Flooring.

by Ruth Shann

Due to the nature of real wood such as oak it is a living and breathing product. It will expand and contract depending on its environment. A new wood floor looks fantastic but it is always best to ensure it stays looking pristine for years to come. The way to do this is to make sure the preparation for laying the flooring is done correctly, along with a common knowledge of the small issues that can happen with real wood floors.

Solid flooring has a tendency to expand and contract. In summer, when the air is more humid due to the house being aired more often – the boards soak up the extra moisture and tend to expand slightly. In winter, when central heating / underfloor heating are used regularly, the air in the house is very dry therefore resulting in the boards drying and contracting – this often creates gaps appearing between boards – often large enough to put a coin between. These are harmless and disappear in the warmer months when heating is not used in the house as often.

When hardwood flooring gets wet or damp it absorbs the moisture and expands to accommodate this extra moisture. This can often happen even if the room does not feel damp or wet – the humidity in the air can also affect the floor. Before laying a wooden floor in is essential to check that the room is dry and the sub floor contains no extra moisture. It is also best to check the moisture content of the flooring before installing. However the sub floor is the most important thing to check before installing as this will affect the floor if it is not the correct moisture levels.

Where an existing timber subfloor is present, this needs to be checked for wet rot, dry rot and for woodworm. Although these are not commonplace it is always best to check existing floors before laying down your new wood floors which can get ruined by rot or woodworm. It is always best to ensure that the existing boards are also securely fastened to the joists as they will cause creaking if not fitted well. Loose timber boards can be screwed down onto the joists – or additional noggins can be placed between the joists if an old board has been cut in the wrong place and is loose.

When nailing down onto the existing flooring, the boards should be laid at 90 degrees to the sub floor. This ensures maximum stability and strength in the floor. (As an example consider a jenga game where all the blocks are placed on top of each other in the same direction – it is extremely unstable). If you are wanting the boards to be laid in the same direction as the sub floor a layer of plywood can be placed and nailed or screwed down to ensure a stable fit of the new wood flooring.

There are additional precautions to take where a screed or concrete sub floor is present. New concrete dries at a rate of 1 inch per month or 1mm per day. Although the concrete can look and feel dry to the touch, it can often still contain more moisture than the recommended amounts for hardwood flooring. The best way to check is to use a moisture meter – this will give you an instant reading and tell you whether you need to leave it to dry for longer.

If the new wood floor is an engineered floor that is being laid as a floating floor then it is possible to lay an extra layer of damp proof membrane (DPM) over the concrete / screed to ensure no moisture reaches the wood floor however if the floor is being glued down to the subfloor or battened out it would not be possible to lay the DPM, however a liquid DPM or epoxy resin can be used to create a liquid barrier instead. As solid wood floors are recommended to be stuck down to the sub floor it is best to glue solid wood floors down to the concrete directly therefore it is essential that the moisture is checked before laying.

With all wood flooring, an expansion gap must be left around the edge to ensure there is room for expansion in case of problems with moisture. This can be covered with skirting, beading or an edge profile. When preparation for the sub floor has been completed correctly, the laying of the wood floor is more likely to fit properly and without problems for the future.

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