Hey, that’s paid for over half of my latest project.  I’ve spent about $450 to insulate my Living Room.

Looks like I need to work on saving some water this year.

Dan Bossenbroek

The downside to storm windows is that they make your double hung windows much less effective in the summer time.  By raising the lower sashes on the cooler side of the house and lowering the upper sashes on the warm side of the house, the warm air in the house will exit through the open upper sashes and draw cooler air in through the open lower sashes.

You can remove the counterweights for the upper sashes and insulate the concealed spaces in the walls.

First, secure the upper sash in place by driving a screw diagonally up through the bottom of the sash and into the jamb.  You may not need to do this since many old sashes have already been painted in place.

Next, carefully remove the casing around the window.  Run a utility knife around the perimeter between the casing and the wall in order to cut any paint or caulk that might be connecting the casing to the wall.  Insert putty knives in between the casing and the wall and between the casing and the window jamb in order to begin to remove the casing.  Continue this process with a pry bar, being careful not to damage the wall.  This will expose the counterweight pockets next to the window.

After removing the casing, cut the cords for the counterweights for the upper sash and remove the counterweights.  A great way to remove the nails from the casing without causing any damage is to clamp on to the nail on the back side of the casing with a vice grips.  Pry the nail out a little.  Straighten the nail and re-clamp the vice grips tight to the wood.  Repeat this until the nail comes all of the way out of the back.  This process will not mar the finish on the good side of the casing.

There are a couple of ways to insulate the counterweight spaces.

1. Measure the width and height of the pocket.  Cut rigid polyisocyanurate insulation to fit snugly into the pocket.  Polyiso has one of the highest R-values available.  Install two layers of ¾” insulation and push tight to the outside of the pocket.
2. Get some PVC that has an inside diameter at least ½” larger than the diameter of the counter weight.  Cut it to length – 1” less than the distance from the bottom of the pocket to the pulley.  Insert the counterweight into the pipe.  Secure the pipe to the window jamb.  Stuff batt insulation into the remaining space in the pocket.

Replace the casing.  Drill pilot holes for the finish nails to help prevent splitting the wood.  Set the nails and fill the divots with wood putty.  Lightly sand smooth, and finish to match the rest of the trim.

Tools:  Drill, drill bits, screwdriver bit, putty knives, pry-bar, hammer, scissors, vice grips, utility knife, tape measure, finish nails, sandpaper and nail set.

Materials:  2” screws, wood putty, and rigid insulation or batt insulation & PVC pipe.

Dan Bossenbroek

It has been amazing how much cleaner the house smells after we vacuum. It used to smell like dog for a few hours. Now it just smells clean.

We don’t seem to need to dust as much any more either. I guess our old vacuum did a better job of kicking up dust than it did sucking up dust.

It has also helped us save on our electric bills. We used to have several air purifiers running 24/7. But so far we have not needed them yet. I’m sure that spring allergy season may put this to the test.

What do we owe this change to? A Dyson DC14. Although I’m sure most any model will suffice.

Another bonus is that we will never have to buy vacuum cleaner bags ever again. Just empty the canister once in a while and rinse the filters with water a few times a year.

What a deal! A cleaner house, lower electric bills, better indoor air quality, no hum of air filters, and one less thing to remember at the grocery store.

Dan Bossenbroek

  Shop light conversion: $36

This results in a grand total investment of $1,262. 

Our utility bills have been paid through the end of 2009 and our total annual savings has climbed to $912.18

Progress: as of end of  2009 vs 2007

• Electricity – 67.7%
• Natural Gas – 80.5%
• Water – 83.0%
• Utility Costs – 75.3%
• Savings 2008 – $  200.15
• Savings 2009 – $  912.18
• Total Savings – $1112.33

What this means is that we are about half way to cutting our utility costs by 50% and we have already recovered 88% of what we have invested so far.  Furthermore, we have only invested about 15% of what we will save over five years once we cut our utility costs by 50%.   Our plan for 2010 is to invest another $900 or so, and increase our savings to $1,150 or more for the year.

So far some of the projects that we are considering are:

• Insulate the Crawlspace – $100   Actual Cost
• Insulate the Living Room – $450  Estimate
• Install a Dual Flush Conversion Kit – $55  Estimate
• Complete Weatherizing Walls and Windows – $45  Estimate
• Two DIY Rain Barrels with Soaker Hoses – $80  Estimate

Stay tuned, more updates coming soon!

Dan Bossenbroek

The first thing that you need to do is to remedy any moisture problems that the walls might have.  Moisture and insulation are not a good combination.  Make sure that all of your downspouts drain away from the house.  The ground should slope away from the house too.  If you have paved surfaces that adjoin the wall you should caulk the joint between the pavement and the wall.

Second, figure out if your crawl space is vented to the outside or deemed heated by the building code.  Vents are typically 8” tall by 16” wide and are placed equally around the perimeter.

If your crawlspace is vented, you need to seal the vents.  First close the vents if it’s possible, then cut a piece of rigid insulation, treated plywood, or aluminum flashing to fit snugly into the opening.  Next seal the crack around this with caulk or foam insulation in order to make an air tight seal.

The main enemy of crawlspaces is moisture, so every step must be taken to keep moisture out.  Cut strips of 6 mil plastic sheeting one foot wider than the crawlspaces walls are tall.  Staple the edge of the plastic sheeting to the sill plate around the entire perimeter of the crawlspace.  Overlap the sheets by 6” and tape all of the joints.  Now you have a dry surface for the insulation to rest against.

The next step is to install the insulation on the walls of your crawlspace.  Kraft faced fiberglass batt insulation works great in this application.  If you purchase the batts to fit between the floor joists, it will be easier to install in vertical strips, but then you will be left with 1 ½” gaps between the pieces below the floor structure.  Or you can add wood framing or cut strips of insulation to fit, but that’s a lot of work.  If you install the insulation horizontally, you will need to cut slits in the insulation so that it will fit around the floor joists.  Staple the insulation to the wood joists to hold it in place.

Most crawl spaces will need two horizontal rows of 22 ½” wide batts.  Use duct tape to secure the lower row to the upper row.

Once the insulation is in place, you will want to seal all of the seams between the insulation.  Duct tape will fit the bill here.  Installing the insulation in long horizontal strips will help reduce the amount of seams that you will need to seal.

You will also want to seal the joint between the batt insulation and the floor joists and sub-floor.  If your house is fairly new and everything down there is fairly clean you could use more duct tape.  However, if your house is fairly new the crawl space is probably already insulated.  So, if things are a bit dirty in your crawl space a good product to use to seal these cracks is foam insulation.  Spray a small bead between the paper and the joists and floor above.  Wait for an hour or two and then return to seal any remaining gaps.

Next you should cover the entire floor with a plastic sheeting vapor barrier.  If you won’t need to go into your crawl space very often then 4 mil plastic sheeting will work, but 6 mil is recommended.  Now that your crawl space is heated, you want to keep any unwanted moisture out.  Overlap the joints of the plastic 6” and tape all the joints.  Tape the joints between the plastic and the insulation as well.

Your crawlspace will now be heated, but there is no need to dump a bunch of extra air down there.  So it’s a great idea to seal all of the joints in the ducts in the crawlspace.  One might think that this would be the perfect use for duct tape, but I have found that aluminum tape works much better.  It sticks much better and lasts much longer than duct tape.  It is a bit more expensive, but you might want to use it everywhere in this project instead of duct tape.  The one drawback if aluminum tape is that it will tear and puncture easier than duct tape, so a little more care must be used when installing it.

Since your crawlspace is now heated, the floor above it should be considerably warmer as well, and thus will be much more comfortable to walk around on in the winter.

Dan Bossenbroek

Until recently these have been two 80 watt fluorescent shop lights that we left on all of the time and one more that was left on about half the time.  At my current electrical rates that costs $203 a year!

The Solution: replace the shop lights with six 20 watt compact fluorescent bulbs in bare bulb fixtures with aluminum foil reflectors.  The vertical orientation of the bulbs and the reflectivity of the aluminum foil do a better job of distributing the light than the shop light fixtures do.

The Result:  Perceived light is about the same.  Projected savings is over $110 a year!  That’s 10% of our 2009 electricity bill!

I should have done this a long time ago.

Dan Bossenbroek

1.       Turn off the lights when you leave a room.

2.       Install a motion / occupancy sensor in a room that you go in and out of frequently at night.

3.       Switch to LED night lights, they use a fraction of the energy that standard night lights do.

4.       Unplug your alarm clock and keep your cell phone next to your bed at night.

5.       Turn off the, lights and go to bed early, nudge, nudge, wink, wink.

6.       Turn off the TV and read a book instead.

7.       Use a clothes dryer heat saver in the winter.

8.       Line dry your laundry.

9.       Plug all of your electronics: TV, VCR, DVD, stereo, computer, printer, cable router, network router into a power strip and turn the power strip off at night.

10.    Replace incandescent bulbs with CFL’s (compact fluorescent lamps.)

11.     Turn down your thermostat in the winter.

12.     Turn up your thermostat in the summer.

13.     Clean the condensing coil of your refrigerator.

14.     Buy an Energy Star refrigerator.

15.     Use a laptop instead of a desktop computer.

16.     Turn off your computer when you are not using it.

17.     Turn off your printer except when you are using it.

18.     Turn off your monitor too.

19.     Same goes for your speakers.

20.     Buy a new computer since they use a lot less electricity than older ones.

21.     Same goes for flat screen monitors vs. CRT monitors.

22.     Upgrade to Windows Vista or 7, they have a “Sleep” function.  Oh, yeah – Use it.

23.     Allow food to cool to room temperature before you put them in the refrigerator.

24.     Keep a pitcher of your favorite beverage in the refrigerator instead of using ice.  It takes more energy to freeze water than to just keep it cool.

25.     Insulate your attic and walls to the proper level.

26.     Insulate the extra refrigerator or freezer in your garage or basement.

27.     Crank the thermostat down another 2 to 4 degrees at night and turn on an electric blanket.  Turn it on just long enough to warm up your bed or at least keep it on the low setting.

28.     Move your kids into one bedroom in the winter and close off the registers in the empty ones.

29.     Let your furry friends sleep on your bed in the winter.  They can sure help to keep you nice and toasty warm.

30.     Get rid of grandma’s refrigerator or freezer that you have in the basement or garage.

31.     Install a programmable thermostat – lower heating bills = lower electrical bills.

32.     Buy and use a space heater or two and heat up only rooms that you use while keeping the rest of the house at a lower temperature.

33.     Bundle up and turn down the thermostat.

34.     Snuggle under a blanket with a friend while you watch TV.

35.     Use timers to turn lights on and off when you are not at home.

36.     Use task lighting instead of lighting up the entire room.

37.     Watch your favorite programs on your laptop instead of the TV.

38.     Go solar to heat your water.

39.     Listen to your MP3 player instead of cranking up the stereo.

40.     Use window fans on cool nights instead of your air conditioner.

41.     When you remodel, avoid carpeting, you can vacuum less often with hard floors.

42.     Replace your air conditioner with one that is Energy Star rated.

43.     Move to a smaller house or apartment.

44.     Seal up your windows with insulating window film.

45.     Install a radiant barrier in your attic.

46.     Replace furnace filters when needed, this will help your furnace run more efficiently.

47.     Upgrade your furnace with one with a higher efficiency.

48.     Eat it raw or cold: veggies, bread (instead of toast), sandwiches (cheese vs. grilled cheese), and milk for example.

49.     Cook with a sun oven.

50.     Dine by candle light.

51.     Get a four poster bed and hang blankets over the top and sides – then you can turn the thermostat down even more at night.

52.     Weatherize your house, seal all of those cracks, gaps and holes

53.      Customize your refrigerator and wrap it with 1 ½” of rigid insulation and any number of finishes: painted or stained wood veneer, chalk board, galvanized steel, vinyl tile, or cork tile.

54.     Teach your kids not to stand with the refrigerator door open.

55.     Practice what you preach.

56.     Wash your hands in cold water.

57.     Install energy saving heat reflective film on all your windows.

58.     Move your refrigerator to an unheated porch, garage or breezeway in the cooler months.

59.     Use an unheated vestibule, garage or enclosed porch to enter and exit your house.  This will prevent cold blasts of air from invading your house every time you go in or out.

60.     Add a dog door in above mentioned vestibule, this too will reduce the cold blasts.

61.     Install solar powered lights at your patio, deck and/or garden.

62.     Open up the curtains in the winter and on the north side of your house to let the sun in.

63.     Install a solar tube type skylight and turn off the lights in that room even at night.

64.     Set solar powered lanterns outside during the day and bring them inside at night for a taste of living off the grid.

65.     Install LED lamps in your recessed cans.  They use even less energy than CFL’s.

66.     Don’t leave the television on for your dog during the day.  Let them read the paper if they need to catch up on the news.

67.     Install a whole house fan and use it instead of your air conditioner.

68.     Use an antique sewing machine with a foot pedal.

69.     Plug power strips into timers so you don’t need to remember to turn them off.

70.     Can the jam, instead of freezing it.  This goes for the extra produce from your garden too.

71.     Generate your own electricity with a wind turbine.

72.     Install a solar air heater, or two.

73.     Install SolarChoice Blinds: a passive solar heater in the guise of vertical blinds.

74.     Buy an Energy Star front loading washing machine.

75.     Wear your clothes more than once between washes.

76.     Only do full loads of laundry.

77.     Wash your clothes in cold water, or at least warm instead of hot.

78.     Fill up your dishwasher before you run it.

79.     Use the energy saver setting on your dishwasher.

80.     Switch to an Energy Star dishwasher.

81.     Use a small plate instead of a large one whenever possible, to cut down on dishwasher loads.

82.     Use one glass all day for your drinking water and it will take longer to fill up your dishwasher.

83.     Try to use only one plate or bowl per person for each meal, this will lead to fewer dishwasher loads.

84.     Serve food in the pots that you cooked the food in and it will take longer to fill the dishwasher.

85.     Skip taking a shower once in a while.

86.      Install an instant hot water heater – hot water will be at the tap sooner.

87.     Insulate your hot water pipes.

88.      Skip shaving once in a while.

89.     Switch to low flow showerheads.

90.     Put the scraps from your plates in to a worm bin instead of down the disposal.

91.     Take shorter showers – keep them to five minutes or less.

92.     Plant a tree or more to shade your house.

93.     When you take a shower turn off the water while you lather and wash.

94.     Two young kids in the same tub = ten to twenty gallons of water saved.

95.     Get your kids involved and teach them to turn the lights off when they leave the room (for instance).

96.     Adjust your water softener so that it regenerates only as necessary.

97.     Lightly steam your vegetables instead of boiling them to death.

98.     Take tandem showers: as soon as one person is done the next hops in.

99.     Give your dog a bath in the water your kids just bathed in.

100.   Jump in the shower before the water gets warm and enjoy a refreshing start to your day.

101.   Trade your furnace in for a small fire breathing dragon.  This may be difficult as they are uncommonly rare.

Have fun and start saving (more)!

1. Self-sufficiency:  On the grounds of Hogwarts are at least three greenhouses.  They are primarily used to grow magical plants that can then be used in various potions or for Madame Pomfrey’s remedies.  Growing your own crop that has magical properties is not recommended.  But greenhouses are great for extending the growing season for your vegetables, herbs and fruit.  Homegrown tomatoes in October anyone?
2. Energy Conservation:  Hogwarts is a big old English castle that’s cold and drafty in the winter, and not that comfortable during the long rainy fall and spring.  Lucky for all of the students, at least those in Griffindor house that they are provided with a four poster bed, complete with canopy and curtains.  Get one for yourself (and your kids) and you can turn your thermostat down another two to four degrees at night and still stay cozy.
3. Earth Sheltering: The Slytherin  and Hufflepuff Common Rooms and Dorms are located in the lower regions and dungeons of the castle.  They are not the most welcoming and light filled places, but they sure do take advantage of the temperature regulating benefits of earth sheltering.  It’s not likely that you could pile earth up against your house, or bury it completely.  However, you might consider one of those options, a vegetative roof, or at least a full walkout basement when you plan a major renovation, addition or a new house.
4. Localized Heat – Strategy 1:  Fireplaces are located all over Hogwart castle, providing heat when and where it is needed.  Instead of heating your entire castle, you can use fireplaces, electric space heaters, pellet stoves and/or solar air heaters to warm up just the rooms that you use, when you use them while keeping the rest of the house several degrees cooler.
5. Localized Heat – Strategy 2:  Dorm Rooms are shared by several students.  This arrangement drastically reduced the number of heat sources required to keep them warm at night.  Instead of having a separate room for each kid, have two or three kids sleep in one room and then use the other bedroom as a play room.  Then you can heat/cool the former at night and the latter when needed.
6. Daylighting:  The common room for Ravenclaw house that is filled with bookcases, tables and chairs has a high domed ceiling and numerous arched windows in the walls that provide spectacular views of the surrounding mountains.  Of the four common rooms in the castle, this is the one I would choose to spend my time in.  What an ideal place to hang out and study for your O.W.L.s.  It has been proven that daylighting will increase test scores, improve your mood and lower your energy bills. Let the sun shine in.  Open the drapes.  Add a skylight, solar tube or an extra window.  Cheer yourself up, and save some energy.
7. Alternative Transportation:  Harry and his friends use numerous forms of alternative transportation.
   • The most eco-friendly would be old fashioned walking.  Wizards do a lot of walking.  Something that we should all do more of.  Why is it that in today’s world we consider walking “alternative transportation”.
   • Traveling by the flue network, broom and apparition rank right up there too, but they rely almost exclusively on the use of magic.  Aside from the fact that we have not yet developed this types of technologies, if we ever do, it will inevitably be very energy intensive.  So they will never be an eco-friendly option.  However, one could argue that broom riding is similar to bicycle riding, and then it would be a very eco-friendly option.
   • Now, determining whether or not flying on a Thestral or Hypogryph is an earth friendly option is a bit tricky.  Keeping a horse, the closest non-magical equivalent, for personal intercity use these days is a bit impractical, but if we could just genetically alter them so that they sprouted wings, then they might be worth the trouble.
   • Finally we have the Hogwarts Express.  We all know that rail transportation is one of the most efficient ways to move things, right?  But how eco-friendly is a coal burning, four car passenger train that travels non-stop from London to Hogsmeade and back about four hundred miles just three times a year?  It doesn’t even stop at the halfway point for the kids from northern England and Ireland.  Instead, on September 1^st every student must make their way from all over the UK to platform 9 ¾ at Kings Cross station
   • Alternative Transportation: some forms are great, some live in the land of myth and science fiction, some are impractical or would cause public outrage, and some are still up for debate.
8. Multi-use Spaces: Talk about the ultimate multipurpose room!  Need a place to hide something for centuries?  The Room of Requirement.  Need a place to secretly study Defense Against the Dark Arts?  The Room of Requirement.  Need a place for your girlfriend to sleep off a night of butterbeer overindulgence?  The Room of Requirement.  Need a place to hide from the bad guys and smuggle all of your friends into the castle? The Room of Requirement.  Including rooms in your house that can serve multiple purposes can save you space, time and lots of money.
9. Native Habitat:  Creating a diverse, natural habitat with indigenous plants on your property can reduce your water use, your time maintaining your property, and it can attract wildlife.  The Forbidden Forest has no irrigation system.  One gamekeeper for hundreds of acres – you do the math.  A herd of Centaurs, a colony of Acromantula, Unicorns, Thestrals, Werewolves, Trolls, and Bowtruckles  – now that’s wildlife!
10. Off Grid:  Hogwarts is so off the grid that there is no grid.  Ok, they use torches, candles, lamps and a bit of magic for light.  But can you imagine what your electricity bill would look like if you didn’t have any TVs, VCRs, DVDs, DVRs, computers, washing machines, dryers, dishwashers, refrigerators, microwave ovens, cell phone chargers, …..!!?

You don’t need to be a wizard to slash your energy consumption, but taking a look at how they do things at Hogwarts could teach you a few things.

Dan Bossenbroek

First you need to determine which window that you want to build your solar air heater for. This type of heater will work in a double hung window, should face south to south west, and should be in direct sun for the greater part of the day. Raise or remove the screen and measure the minimum clear opening width.

If you are using an old window sash, you will need to scrape off any old paint, repair the glazing putty, prime and paint the sash, and clean the glass.

Build the wood frame: make it 1 ½” wider than the minimum clear opening and 36” to 48” tall. Or build it to fit the old window that you are using. Other designs use insulation for the frame, but treated wood decking is much more durable so your air heater will last for years and years. Marine grade plywood or primes and painted 1×6’s may be substituted for the decking.

Add the arms that extend through the window making sure that they extend far enough so that the air heater can be secured on the inside of the window. Follow this up with the remaining decking pieces and the 1×4 trim. Seal all joints with sealant.

Cut the rigid insulation back to fit into the frame, leaving a 5 ½” gap at the top. Use a chalk line to mark the line or a drywall square with a new blade in your knife in order to make clean straight cuts. Secure this into the frame with a continuous bead of construction adhesive. Add 2” spacers along the edges and in the middle.

Add the horizontal rigid insulation between the arms at the bottom, and then one in the middle of the arms. Again, secure both pieces with a continuous bead of construction adhesive on all four sides.

Cut the front insulation panel and secure with a continuous bead of construction adhesive. Cut the corner bead and secure with roofing nails to the insulation with the fins pointing out. This is a slight modification to the photos shown here.

Paint the entire interior of the solar air heater with flat black spray paint.

Apply the compressible foam weatherstripping along the face of the entire frame. You may elect to use silicone sealant, but this will prevent you from removing the glass in the future.

Secure the old window sash or glass to the frame. Screw directly through the sash to the frame or use 1” long pieces of aluminum angle to hold the glass in place. Insert a piece of the weatherstripping between the aluminum angle and the glass.

Now you are ready to install your solar air heater and weatherize it so that you don’t loose more heat than you gain. Open the window and set the heater in place. Lower the sash and install foam weatherstripping along the line where the sash will meet the heater. Cut the “air conditioner” foam weatherstipping the width of the sash and insert between the sashes at the bottom of the exterior sash. Next, tuck a piece of plastic wrap between the air heater arm and the window jamb, making sure to secure it in place and cover all surrounding surfaces. Fill the

gap between the air heater and the window jamb with expandable foam. Finally, install insulating window film over the window, securing the bottom of it to the horizontal piece of decking.

Finally, cut a piece of rigid insulation to fit in the top opening of the heater to prevent any nighttime heat loss, or roll up an old bath towel and set it into the gap just below the sash.  Adding a piece of aluminum flashing on the top of the solar air heater will help to keep the water out, and in the spring you might want to prime and paint the treated wood frame.

Last, but not least, enjoy the free warm heat from the sun and watch your heating bills take a dip.  Feel free to contact us if you would like additional plans and details.

Dan Bossenbroek

Materials list: 1 – 4’x8’ sheet of rigid insulation, old window sash or glass, 3 – 5/4×6x8’ treated decking, 1 – 1×4x8’, construction adhesive, exterior sealant, compressible foam weatherstripping or silicone sealant, flat black spray paint, foam sealant (Great Stuff), 3” screws, 1 ½” roofing nails, metal corner bead (for drywall), “air conditioner” foam weatherstipping, 1”x1” aluminum angle, plastic wrap, and insulating window film.  Optional materials: aluminum flashing, glazing putty, primer and paint.

Tools list: Utility knife, saw, drill, screwdriver, clamps, caulk gun, tape measure, tin snips, chalk line or drywall square.  Optional tools: putty knife, paint brush.