Home improvement answers
August 14th 2010 14:03
Hello and welcome. In this post we are going to look at the questions that I asked you about your home in the post ( Typical Home Improvements). And discuss them a little so that you may understand why I asked these questions and how you can apply these answers at your own home to conserve energy.
1. What year was your house built?
I asked this question because if you have an older house there are probably some code issues that were not in place at the time of your home construction. In my post about air leakage in the home, I discussed about caulking around outlet and switch boxes. This is one fo the code changes that have been put in place, An electrician or plumber are supposed to seal all hole and cracks that they may create in walls and other parts of the framing in your house. Just this one action makes a big difference. Also there have been changes in the amount of insulation required in the home. There are also a vast selection on the type of insulation to use. This opens up another whole situation that we will look at in a later post. The bottom line is the older the house the even more you need to take a look around the home or have a home inspector to help you out.
2. Front door faces in which direction?
In my house the front door faces the south. In my climate where I live this cause a couple of issues. First in the summer when it is very humid and warm we get a lot of pour winds from the south off of Lake Ponchatrain and the Gulf of Mexico. This is crucial because I need to keep my weather stripping around my doors and the cracks that may be around my windows sealed and in good shape to keep this warm moist wind out . In the winter I have to do the same for the back of the house. Think about which direction the front of your house faces and then go from there.
3.Number of occupants in the home?
The more people you have the mor traffic you have in and out of your home. Doors being opened and closed more often. The more people you have in your home the higher your humidity seems to be. We all know how uncomfortable the humidity will make us feel. You might ask how will this effect the humidity in my home. Think about one thing for a second. When you get out of the shower what does the mirrors in you bathroom do? Look at how high the humidity is in your bathroom. When your heating or cooling unit kicks on it moves this humid air throughout the house. The more people the more showers. Make sure that you have a heater vent light in your bathroom. The true reason for this vent in the bathroom is to move the humidity out of the room.
4. Do you have central air and heat ?
This really is the most economical way to stay comfortable in your home. This unit helps keep
the temperature an the humidity in your home at a comfortable level. If you have an older unit
you may want to look into upgrading to a mor high efficiency unit. Also regular maintenance is required. I will talk about that in a later post.
5. Take a look at the copies of your utility bill.
Take a look at what months your bill is the highest. Also this will give you a starting point to see if your improvements are working.
6. What type off appliances do you have?
Gas or electric? There are high efficiency appliances in each one. Check to see if they are Energy Star rated. Of course regular upkeep is required here also. More on this later.
7.Which part of the house has the most windows?
This goes along with question 2. The more windows more sun to keep out in summer and to let in during the winter.
I hope that you will find this helpful and return later we have lots to discuss.
HAPPY CONSERVING!!!!!!!
1. What year was your house built?
I asked this question because if you have an older house there are probably some code issues that were not in place at the time of your home construction. In my post about air leakage in the home, I discussed about caulking around outlet and switch boxes. This is one fo the code changes that have been put in place, An electrician or plumber are supposed to seal all hole and cracks that they may create in walls and other parts of the framing in your house. Just this one action makes a big difference. Also there have been changes in the amount of insulation required in the home. There are also a vast selection on the type of insulation to use. This opens up another whole situation that we will look at in a later post. The bottom line is the older the house the even more you need to take a look around the home or have a home inspector to help you out.
2. Front door faces in which direction?
In my house the front door faces the south. In my climate where I live this cause a couple of issues. First in the summer when it is very humid and warm we get a lot of pour winds from the south off of Lake Ponchatrain and the Gulf of Mexico. This is crucial because I need to keep my weather stripping around my doors and the cracks that may be around my windows sealed and in good shape to keep this warm moist wind out . In the winter I have to do the same for the back of the house. Think about which direction the front of your house faces and then go from there.
3.Number of occupants in the home?
The more people you have the mor traffic you have in and out of your home. Doors being opened and closed more often. The more people you have in your home the higher your humidity seems to be. We all know how uncomfortable the humidity will make us feel. You might ask how will this effect the humidity in my home. Think about one thing for a second. When you get out of the shower what does the mirrors in you bathroom do? Look at how high the humidity is in your bathroom. When your heating or cooling unit kicks on it moves this humid air throughout the house. The more people the more showers. Make sure that you have a heater vent light in your bathroom. The true reason for this vent in the bathroom is to move the humidity out of the room.
4. Do you have central air and heat ?
This really is the most economical way to stay comfortable in your home. This unit helps keep
the temperature an the humidity in your home at a comfortable level. If you have an older unit
you may want to look into upgrading to a mor high efficiency unit. Also regular maintenance is required. I will talk about that in a later post.
5. Take a look at the copies of your utility bill.
Take a look at what months your bill is the highest. Also this will give you a starting point to see if your improvements are working.
6. What type off appliances do you have?
Gas or electric? There are high efficiency appliances in each one. Check to see if they are Energy Star rated. Of course regular upkeep is required here also. More on this later.
7.Which part of the house has the most windows?
This goes along with question 2. The more windows more sun to keep out in summer and to let in during the winter.
I hope that you will find this helpful and return later we have lots to discuss.
HAPPY CONSERVING!!!!!!!
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