Home winterizing advice?

[thelmasue]

Anyone know if people exist who can come into your home and give advice about making it more winter proof?

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[The Velvet Bulldog]

Seattle City Light will come in and do a Home Energy Audit (that includes weatherization) but you need to sign up on a list:

http://www.seattle.gov/light/Conserve/hea/

They can probably also recommend some private companies who do this.

Other resource sites:

energysavers.gov

hometips.com

In the meantime, here are some easy things to do:

-If you have single-pane windows, apply insulating, shrinking plastic to the interior OR exterior of the windows. Each type is available at a hardware store.

-Buy some caulk and plug up cracks in walls around windows and doors.

-Weatherstrip and insulate the attic hatch.

-Weatherstrip exterior doors.

-Put rolled towels at the base of doors and keep doors of unused rooms closed to keep heat only in the areas you’re using. Close individual room vents if you can.

-Wrap your hot water heater in an insulating blanket. (More of an energy-saving thing.)

-Put rugs on hardwood floors.

-When you turn off the oven, prop the door open to allow the heat into the room.

-Clean covers/vents of your heaters so they heat most efficiently.

-Wear a warm hat inside! (Mine even has ear flaps…)

It’s supposed to be a cold winter, so doing some extra work now is a great idea that will hopefully save you some shivers and some cash down the road.

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[Blend]

Revolution Green Power. They are the BEST!!

http://www.revolutiongreenpower.com/

And for insulation needs I recommend HHL Insulation.

206.510.8800. They are in West Seattle and love keeping West Seattle warm. They can go over all your options and also let you know if you qualify for any PSE rebates. Currently they are giving up to $200 for each part of the house. And they are instant..so HHL takes it right off the bill. Pretty sweet. I dunno how long they will have these rebates..so get it while you can.

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[inactive]

Another quick, cheap do-it-yourself idea along the lines of caulking around windows and doors. I have a 70-yr old house and I’m hoping this improves heat retention this winter here:

spray foam (one product is “Gap”) can be bought in cans for about $3.50, give or take $.50 or so. Spray very carefully and definitely use disposable gloves. It is impossible to remove once dried. Trust me on this. Just use gloves!

Put very small beads of foam into any and all gaps in exposed basement wall boards and or sheathing. The cans come with application tubes which attach to aerosol spray holes, so expanding foam fills the gaps from narrow to large diameters. Different cans can be purchased for small gaps size or large gaps size. Note what size gap on the can so you are buying what you need just so you don’t over fill the holes and waste money.

A little bit of this foam goes a long, long way. I spent many hours doing this on the inside of all my basement exterior walls and the gaps between the kneewall foundation and boards, before I installed upgraded insulation batts and drywalled/plastered.

I also used the foam around gaps in pipes up to the kitchen and bathroom – which is a fire-safety issue more than insulation – but as long as I had exposed walls, I took advantage of it. There are spray foam products specifically for that.

I am just guesstimating, but I think I went through about 5-8 cans to cover about 750 sq. ft. of basement, plus I did my garage as well. Tedious, but incredibly cost-effective to create an airtight thermal space behind the insulation batts and drywall. Also, the same foam can be applied around baseboards, but takes a deft hand and must be carefully applied, as it is a real mess if over done.

Also, inexpensive foam templates or cutouts are available which can be inserted behind electrical outlet cover plates. I would suggest using these especially on outlets located on exterior walls at a minimum. I wouldn’t use spray foam on that personally.

Here’s to a cozy winter!

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[thelmasue]

wow. this is a lot of helpful advice. here’s more about my problem:

1) the house is a rental

2) the landlord is not very proactive

3) it is an old house

4) it is a brick house

5) it is a house with no insulation

6) it is a 2 story house with full basement, garage and single pane windows. In other words, there are a lot of places for heat to escape. I need to know what’s really worth spending time and money on, and what is too minor to be bothered with. Which is why I’m thinking it would be best to have someone come look at the place, rather than general advice (which I nonetheless deeply appreciate!).

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[The Velvet Bulldog]

thelmasue: I also live in a rental house with single-pane windows and no insulation. All the suggestions I listed can be done on a rental home. Of course, you have to be willing to spend the time and money on the activities and items yourself. (I even knitted my own hat!) Also, Seattle Public Utilities has a longer list of weatherization and energy-saving suggestions for renters.

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[inactive]

Couple more ideas:

The attic and the exterior walls behind your plaster/drywalls probably are most important if they have never been insulated.

Cellulose can be purchased in huge bags from Home Depot, probably other places, and they also rent blowers to shoot the insulation into the walls. You drill a hole about the size of a quarter basically every 16″ or so near the ceiling (we’re talking exterior walls as priority here) to fill up each channel with the cellulose. Then you’ll have to patch the holes and paint them. Maybe you could get the LL to split the costs. Heck, maybe they’ll pay for all of it if you ask?

The attic is hugely important to have insulated. If there is absolutely nothing up there, that’s where I’d put my money, rental or not. Also, what I’ve done in similar houses is invest in heavy curtain panels. Save more money by sewing them yourself. It’s simple.

If you’ve got blinds on the windows, that’ll help a wee bit no doubt, but adding the plastic sheeting is smart. Maybe invest in blinds or *heavy* curtains for the biggest windows, especially those with north or east exposures where the sun exposure is minimal.

I’m not a weatherization expert by any means, but I think you might want to pop up and have a peek at the attic and maybe start there. And sealing off unused rooms by closing doors and closing heat vents is a great idea too.

And, I always wear sweaters and have a pot of hot tea in the evening. Doesn’t warm up the space, but it helps keep me warm.

Good luck.

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[anonyme]

On a somewhat related issue: I’m a little concerned about this coming winter as well. The power goes out in my neighborhood with every storm. My house is 100% electric, and I can’t afford a generator. Any ideas on heating and cooking when the power goes – as it undoubtedly will? Kerosene heaters are advertised as indoor or outdoor, but that doesn’t seem accurate or safe to me…

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[hopey]

We lived in Bellevue when the big windstorm hit a few years ago. (I think they called it the Hanukkah Eve storm?) Our power was out for 5 days, and we had electric heat. We ended up pitching a tent in our living room. Drape some insulating blankets over the top, and you’d be amazed how warm it gets just from your own body heat.

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[JayDee]

I’d add a note of caution about closing off a room and shutting the heater vents. Furnaces are generally sized to deliver heated air through X number of ducts. Closing a vent off will not necessarily save money because the furnace is still working just as hard for an incremental increase in perceived warmth. Second, the closed off room will then get cold. I did this to a “library” room and discovered that the books I had stored started to mildew–moisture in the air in the room condensed on-top of the books.

I second the attic insulation and the temporary window plastic coverings though they get a bit spendy unless you score at McLendons.

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[inactive]

Kerosene heaters are listed in emergency preparedness info, BUT a huge caveat. Do NOT use them, or fireplaces or wood burning stoves without having a smoke alarm and a carbon monoxide detector installed near the area where they are going to be used. Folks need to be attentive to ventilation with these sources. And, obviously, folks should NEVER use bbq’s or grills inside homes, but you can count on somebody doing it this winter out of desperation.

And as for closing off unused spaces, I have a newer efficient gas furnace. I did not mean to imply one was to shut the door and never open or heat it over the course of the winter season. It is more a matter of suggesting that folks identify a few of the most frequently used spaces and strategize ways to seal those up as best as possible and focus on heating those so the *people* in the house can remain comfortable for longer at less cost.

The unused spaces, of course, would get cold, but presumably people have identified the room as being “low-priority” to heat. Periodically heating up the space to dry out and mitigate any potential condensation or a perceived concern about it, would be prudent, but to heat unused spaces on a regular basis costs 5-20% more than to not heat them, according to a couple of energy conservation sites I’ve perused. I can only attest to what is nothing more than mere perceptions of my own use, but it simply does not take as long to heat up a smaller area and in my mind, that translates as less gas being purchased from PSE and therefore less $$. Again, I have a very efficient gas heater that is well maintained and serviced annually. I avoid having it “work hard”. I am more interested in having it work smart. I also use a thermostat time for specific at-home hours and keep it at a 68 maximum – another strategy to save bucks – over time.

And those window coverings can work, but if the edges are not thoroughly sealed to the window, they have little impact. I remember many, many years ago, in a super funky old QA apartment, I stapled visqueen to my humongous single-paned windows. Then I taped over the edges to seal them. Then I put up curtain panels. Didn’t do much for the awesome view I had of the Olympics and West Seattle, but It helped keep the electric heat in and that’s what it’s all about when you are cold and broke.

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[thelmasue]

hey, thanks everybody for all the good advice! i got work to do now…hope you all have a warm winter!

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[Sue]

When we lost power during that same storm for 5 days, we used a butane burner for cooking, like the ones the caterers often use indoors. We got ours at Costco for less than $20 (maybe $40 with extra butane canisters) and had it just in case we ever needed it. It was so wonderful to have a cup of hot tea or a bowl of oatmeal when you’re freezing. Our home was at 42 degrees or so for the 5 days. We had a fireplace, but I also wore many, many layers, including hats and scarves. I was very grateful for a warm workplace to go to (and hot shower at the gym).

If you sense that a storm is coming that may have you lose power, and you have a fireplace, make sure you have some firewood stored. We did not have very much (since we used it more for ambiance than heat usually), and when the storm hit, we could not find firewood at any price, anywhere. We ended up finding out from someone about some wooden pallets that were left out for firewood in Sodo and were scavenging for them, not particularly caring if the wood was toxic at that point to burn. :)

One thing we learned the hard way was that tempurpedic beds, which adjust to body heat, are as hard and cold as an ice block when it is that cold in your house; lying on it was the most uncomfortable thing on earth. By morning I was nice and toasty warm from body heat, but I’d say the first 2 hours were tossing and turning torture. The sofa might’ve been a better alternative.

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[anonyme]

Great tip on the butane burner. I think I might also get a canister camp stove – not for indoors, but outdoor grilling alone has limitations. As Sue suggests, it’s nice to have those “just add boiling water” comfort foods. It will be interesting to see how many of the dire weather predictions being made will actually come true…I don’t remember so many being made so far in advance.

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[JayDee]

I suspect the direness of the warnings comes from the back-to-back nature of the 2007 windstorm in December, and the 2008 La Nina and all the “fun” we had. Both are recent enough that most remember them, and if they are like me I still consider lowland snow a 4-letter word. Up in the Olys? Great. At 200 feet above sea level? #@%&!

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[sarelly]

A dehumidifier might help. We have two of them, and in the rainy months each will collect two gallons of water per day, which we then use to flush the toilets. The moisture in the air creates that unrelenting dank feeling. But our crumbling old house may be unusually wet due to poor seals around windows, doors, and joints at siding, so you may not collect as much water.

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