It is late September and with Winter on the way again it is time to start checking all the weak points both inside and outside of your home. Living in a trailer that we have been winterizing since the beginning of the August, there have been a few things come up that normally would not in a regular home. Here are a few of them to keep in mind even if you are not in a trailer or doing renovations.

After the initial move and since our trailer is an older model, 1960 or thereabouts, we had to make some decisions about its overall condition. The first thing we decided on was to pull down the ceiling in the kitchen and living and tear out the ceiling cover, plastic barrier and the old, wet insulation so the ceiling could dry. I sprayed the wet areas with bleach water to kill and prevent mold. The rest of the ceiling will be done next spring. We built twenty nine trusses to put on the existing roof rather than removing the old roof and rebuilding from scratch. While the roof was being built onto it and insulated with R20, then shingled, the existing vents for the furnace and water tank had to be checked and either reinforced or put in again. Originally there was no attic opening to get into the roof so that had to be cut out in the spare room closet and covered. I replaced all the light bulbs with energy savers.

Once we had enough hose down the well to reach the water, more was needed to go from the pumphouse to the trailer to be hooked up for access to indoor running water. The only way I had access to running water previously was by going out to the pumphouse and turning on the noisy generator that was hooked up to the well pump, back in the house I had to pail enough cold water for use on the stove and for baths after which I went back to the pumphouse and turned the generator off. This, for a month before the hose was hooked up under the trailer and little do we realize just how much water a washing machine uses until you have to pail it in, which is why I use only cold water for washing! All the electrical also had to be hooked up for the lights and power to the appliances.

That done, we next installed a new 40 gallon propane water tank, that had to be ordered in, to heat the well water and got the electric furnace converted to a propane user; the 250 gallon propane tank for the yard was delivered and hooked up by a gas fitter who also had to check the fittings and connections of the propane copper wiring to the trailer. At this point it is good to keep in mind that Alberta regulations are set so only 80 % of the tank is filled for safety reasons and you have to manually check the amount of propane left in your tank and know what the current price of propane is when ordering another fill to make it economical to use. Does anyone hear solar panels echoing in their heads! Well, so far, so good.

September has been busy as money and time was spent on cutting to fit and painting some of the OSB sheets that were used for the porch, to skirt in the bottom of the trailer to protect the water lines from freezing and keep the mouse, vole, mole and bug populations at bay. Before finishing the skirting and packing dirt along the edge and up the skirting all around the trailer, the water pipes had to be wrapped with thirty feet of electric pipe freeze prevention heating cable, with a plug in and then have insulation taped all around the pipes leaving an access door in the skirting for easy entry. It has taken a month to build the 12 x 12 porch, working on it in the evenings and weekends.

Our trailer is on a small acreage so there was a lot of wood boards that were still usable and being economy minded people on a budget who do not like to waste anything, we spent time in cutting these boards for use in building the frame and roof of the porch. My hubby and his friend put twenty feet of soffet up plus the flashing then framed and built most of the porch and put it together. Finishing the low sloped roof with metal and pulling it into place, securing it with three inch screws. It is detached from the trailer in case of a move. This will be set up as my winter porch pantry. The electrical is done in the porch for the indoor and outdoor lights and the switches are in. Now we can insulate and sheet the inside of the porch, I can clean and paint the floor and our freezer, bin, three tier shelf can go in. I still need my two tables, wood/recycle/trash and potato boxes in and the shelving built. Then I can stock it for my pantry.

After I used closed cell foam tape weatherstrip on the windows and doors, I covered the windows with shrink-to-fit, clear film window insulator over the all the windows inside, finishing them with a blow dryer to tighten them up and keep the drafts out; Alberta winds can get pretty vicious. Our wood stove has yet to go in; first we need to build a raised wood platform in the living room with enough room under and behind it to allow for airflow, then put light cement board insulation against the wall for added protection. Ceramic tiles go on the platform, a vent is cut into the wall behind and covered for fresh air, a hole is then cut into the ceiling and out through the insulation and roof so the pipe can be put in place with an added half pipe attached to the existing one, again for added protection. After that the wood stove is connected and fired up, using the furnace fan to circulate the heat from the wood burner to heat the rest of the trailer; this will greatly cut down on our propane use. By the way, one of the best and most economical fire-starters you can use is the lint from your dryer; I save all of mine for just that purpose.

There is still the pumphouse to insulate and a nine inch portable dish heater to put in to keep it warm for the winter and keep everything from freezing. Thirty six feet of house cover is needed to go on the out side of the porch to protect the wood over the winter months and the rest of the soffet has to be put on. Next Spring we will put siding on the porch and attach three inch board insulation to the outside of the trailer walls, then re-side it. Its important to remember that everything you add to a trailer also adds to the overall weight of the trailer, that is why when building the roof you can have only a foot of overhang. Even though there is still work to be done most of the important things are already in place for the coming of winter. Its a good idea to prepare and plan ahead for trailer renos, a line of credit at your local hardware store also helps.

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Technorati Tags: foam insulation

Just what is polystyrene insulation? You may have heard of it as a possible energy saving solution in your home, but you probably do not know much about it. Is this insulation made from the same material as a portable cooler? What does it cost, and is the price worth the

it could save? Let’s take a look at these questions and some of the answers to them.

Polystyrene insulation is a type of insulation that falls into the rigid foam category. It is in common use in commercial and residential buildings alike, and works very well against extreme temperature fluctuation and noise. It lasts a long time and will not degrade in structures and is waterproof. This means that in the right situation, polystyrene sheets are an excellent choice.

There are two types of polystyrene used to insulate buildings. One is expanded polystyrene. This is sometimes called bead board, and is lower density and lower price. It has less power to insulate, as well, since the cells inside are coarser and contain just air. Extruded polystyrene, the other type, is made up of much finer cells. They contain not just air, but also a refrigerant gas. That makes them better at insulating.

There are other reasons that extruded polystyrene is the better choice, too. The surface is uniform and very smooth, and it can be formed into multiple different shapes, including blocks and polystyrene panels. It is easy to cut, so running wiring through or around it is no problem at all. You can also find polystyrene insulation that has been made with hollows in it. These can be filled with concrete to create an easy pattern of beams and columns, with no need for conventional concrete forms.

Price is a concern. As an insulation, polystyrene is fairly expensive. It can add five to ten percent onto home building costs. However, it offers significant energy savings over the life of the building, making it an economical choice in the long run. Plus, homes that are constructed using the concrete grid method avoid the issues you would encounter with a conventional wood frame. A fire protective coating is required, since polystyrene is flammable, and it should never be exposed to extremely high temperatures or direct sunlight. These are relatively minimal problems in most cases, however.

What is polystyrene insulation? It is an energy saving product that could help you reduce costs in your home. It has a number of different advantages, and is particularly suitable for use in new construction. To find out if it is the right product for your needs, just take the time to research it. This interesting and useful product could be the one for your house.

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Technorati Tags: best insulation

System 1: Cavity Wall Insulation
Cavity walls became popular in Ireland in the 80s. Quite simply they are two walls built side by side with a gap of about 60mm between them. The cavity between the two walls in older houses can be filled will insulation and new homes nowadays are built with excellent approved insulation material in the cavity. If you have a cavity wall, it is fast and easy to pump in insulation. Of the three systems mentioned here this is by far the cheapest. If you don’t have a cavity then this system will not work.

Also please don’t confuse cavity blocks with a cavity wall. With a cavity block 80% of the heat loss pass through the block and only 20% crosses the air gap. So even if you could find and fill all cavities you would only fix 20% of the problem.

System 2 Internal Insulation:
Internal insulation is where you attach insulation to the inside of a wall. So where the wallpaper is currently you stick about 100 mm of insulation material on to the wall and finish it with plaster board, then you can redecorate. This solution is cheaper than external insulation and if you are redecorating it can be included in the project with a minimum amount of hassle.

If you want to insulate a single room where there are no thermal bridges, this can often be the easiest way to make that one room warm and cosy. The flip side is you can also loose space in valuable space like on a staircase or where your fitted kitchen should be. Plus you need to shift radiators, light fittings, skirting boards etc as well as redecorate any room that has an external wall, so the total project can be very expensive.

System 3 External Wall Insulation:
External Insulation this is where you wrap the entire house in an insulating blanket. It tends to be about 110 mm thick and is composed of an insulating layer and a coloured render or brick finish. It is applied from the outside so there are no problems with thermal bridges, no loss of space and no need to redecorate. By insulating the outside you make the entire house a single thermal block, like a storage heater. In this way the house stays warm in winter and cool in summer. When the external insulation is being fitted down pipes may have to be moved and window sills extended. So there can be a fair amount of work involved and this can appear to be the most expensive solution. But when the project is complete you get a completely fresh facade and the best thermal properties of the three systems.

All three systems outlines above are eligible for grants under Sustainable Energy Ireland’s Home Energy Saving Scheme.The value of the grant varies according to the system chosen.

System – Grant
Cavity – 400 euro
Internal – 2 500 euro
External – 4 000 euro

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Technorati Tags: rigid foam insulation

Because energy costs usually account for the majority of household expenses, choosing your insulation should be a careful consideration. There are five basic types of insulation that you can use in your home, depending what area you need to insulate.

The first type of insulation is spray foam. It is sprayed on areas such as concrete slabs, unfinished walls, and into any holes in drywall. The foam expands, hardens, and blocks airflow caused by any leaks or gaps in the wall.

Unlike foam insulations, rigid insulation can be used throughout the entire house. It is usually produced in board-like forms and is most often used to insulate foundations and to sheath walls.

Blown-in loose fill insulation is the third type of insulation and is made of a variety of materials, including rock wool, fiberglass, or cellulose and is in a free fibrous form. This type of insulation is usually used in wall cavities or to fill in other irregular spaces or holes. Loose fill insulation is also popular in insulating unfinished spaces, like attics.

Insulation in batts or blankets is one of the most popular types of insulation. It is usually made of fiberglass and is cut in order to fit the desired space and to fit around any obstructions. Batt or blanket insulation fits into standard spaces, typically walls, floors, or attics.

The fifth type of insulation most commonly used in homes is reflective barrier insulation. It is made of aluminum foils and is most effective in reducing heat moving downward. It is used between roof rafters, wall joists, and wall studs.

By understanding the different types of insulation available, you can make the best decision in choosing what insulation to use in your home.

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Technorati Tags: rigid insulation

There is a tendency in many people to equate responsibility with power. They are clearly not the same. Responsibility is a legal obligation. Power is legal authority. A popular maxim among management types is that you should not assign responsibility without also delegating the necessary authority. That, however, is an ideal, not necessarily reality, nor is responsibility that exists without the corresponding authority always a bad thing.

Take the case of your homeowner’s association. The Conditions, Covenants, and Restrictions assign responsibility to the association for maintenance of portions of the project, for example. It is typical for certain associations to be responsible for painting, caulking, and sometimes repair of exterior siding. But do those same CC&Rs always give the association board of directors total authority to take whatever steps are required to raise funds to perform what is required? If you think about it, the answer is usually "No." The board is limited in its ability to assess the members of the association by such things as the requirement that members vote on assessments, whether regular or special. These limitations are found in the CC&Rs, and also in the Davis-Stirling Act.

So it would seem that associations labor under a conflict with good management practice-we have assigned responsibility without also granting the requisite authority. If that’s so, then logic would dictate that we either cut responsibility or increase authority. But we must be careful not to be so rigid in our thinking that we miss some creative opportunities.

As you know if you have read some of my articles on the future of homeowner associations, I believe in the principle that voluntary "taxation" leads to bad results. Members cannot usually be depended upon to vote in the community’s interest. That’s because their self interest is so compelling, and self interest and the community interest, like certain signs of the Zodiac, are only occasionally in alignment.

So, should we empower boards of directors to levy assessments sufficient to operate and maintain the development without getting the authority to do so from the members? A chilling thought to some, perhaps, but that is precisely what is done in several other states, Florida for one. I learned this in a discussion about my concern for the eventual obsolescence of common interest developments with a Florida attorney. "That could never happen in Florida" was her reply, "because in Florida, an association is obligated to assess whatever is required to operate and maintain the association."

Believe it or not, a similar statutory dictate exists in California. Civil Code Section 1366 (a) states that an association shall levy regular and special assessments sufficient to perform its legal obligations. This is a mandatory obligation. However, it is widely ignored in California, with boards of directors assessing only what they think the market will bear. If they did assess at the "full-funding" level, however, and even if associations were given a long time, say five years or more, to fund their maintenance reserves fully, the obligation would crush some associations. Their members simply could not afford to contribute the level of assessments that would be required to retire the shortfall.

A short-term solution might be getting creative and looking for ways to increase operational and reserve funding without smacking the members with a large assessment. Starting to save earlier in an association’s life for the repair of a greater number of components would be one example. Managing repairs to get a longer life out of existing components is another. In our quest for a solution to this never-ending dilemma, however, board members must be careful not to push the envelope too far. "Creative" solutions must also be legal ones. Buying new fencing from your brother-in-law might in fact be the cheapest solution, but have you considered your own conflict of interest? Saving on insurance costs by raising the deductible or cutting the coverage may be tempting, but what about the bylaw provisions or sections of the Civil Code that require certain levels of deductibles and coverage? Deciding to maintain the pool yourselves rather than hiring a professional service might actually save the association a lot of money, but what about the liability it faces if you fail to chlorinate the water adequately?

Restrictions on the exercise of power can force a board to find creative and innovative solutions to management challenges. But that benefit cannot be taken too far. In the long run, there may be an inherent conflict between a board’s responsibility and its authority that cannot be resolved through creative thinking or the best of intentions. In such a case, legislation may be necessary not only to protect the equities of owners, but also to relieve board members from the fear of their own liability in trying to deal with what may be an insoluble problem. A lot of the stress on board members comes from trying to balance responsibility and authority when there is too much of one, and not enough of the other. That stress sometimes leads to individual board members avoiding their responsibilities or abusing their authority-always a bad situation for everyone.

Understanding the imbalance of responsibility and power in a homeowner’s association will at least insulate board members from the stress of believing that they must find an answer to every problem. Like so many things in life, it would be nice, but not always possible. Recognizing that the system is inherently imperfect will let board members get down to the real business of making the most of what they have.

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Technorati Tags: residential foam insulation

All new houses must confirm to very high building standards to allow them to be as energy efficient as possible. If you’re house is quiet old then its possible that your house hasn’t been insulated correctly and you’re wasting a lot of money through your walls, roof and floor. Don’t be worried though – this is a problem that can be easily rectified. You can insulated your house for quiet a low fee. Insulation usually pays for itself after about 3/4 years but lasts the lifetime of the house.

A badly insulated floor can be expensive for homeowners. Energy experts have worked out that 15% of heat loss in a building is through the floor if its poorly insulated.

To insulate a floor, you should begin by lifting the carpet and any floorboards underneath. The joists underneath should be filled with some kind of insulation material. There are various types of floor insulation materials you can use. Netting is often used to support the floor insulation material. The netting will need to be stapled to the joists in order to keep it in place.

To add an extra layer of insulation you can add a sheet of plaster board above the insulation material. This not also acts as heat insulation but also adds an extra layer of soundproof.

Apart from the insulation material and the plaster board you can also add a layer of carpet on top of the floorboards to improve the floor insulation. Again the carpet will add an extra layer of soundproof to the floor.

Advice for my new home please!!

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the holiday spirit…

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Technorati Tags: foam insulation cost

Whether it’s new construction or improving the existing insulation on a completed home, there are a lot of different types of insulation materials from which to choose. Not all insulation is created equal though and not all insulation can be used on existing completed structures. Proper insulation will lower your monthly heating costs and cooling costs, but you must know how to shop for the right material.

The most commonly used insulation has been the traditional fiberglass batting that can be found in any brick and mortar home improvement store. Some home improvement stores even carry polyiso foam board insulation. Concrete insulation is not as common or as inexpensive as other types and is used while building new construction. SIPS or structural insulated panels are a relatively new and highly effective type of insulated wall, but is only used for new construction as well. Loose fill insulation is blown into wall cavities and is commonly found in attic spaces or walls. Each of these types of insulating materials will reduce costs. You need to check the "R" factor that is listed on the insulation to determine how efficient it is. The higher the R-Factor, the more efficient the material is and the lower your monthly air conditioning bill should be.

The last two types of insulation have become quite common and beneficial, especially for use in completed existing structures. Polyurethane spray foam insulation is commonly used in walls and ceilings, and are excellent for filling in irregular wall cavities. Radiant barriers and reflective foils are used quite frequently to drastically reduce heat transfer through attics, ceilings, and floors. Radiant barriers like Temper Shield help to regulate the temperature in the living quarters during the summer months and greatly reduce the loss of heat from the interior of the home during the winter months. This translates to more even temperatures and lower utility costs throughout the year.

Only fiberglass batting, spray foam, polyiso boards, and radiant barrier films are able to be considered do-it-yourself methods of insulation. However, it is only recommended for small areas should the homeowner decide to attempt the installation themselves. For larger areas or higher volume spaces, obtaining the services of a professional installer is highly recommended to ensure proper installation. This will guarantee maximum insulation benefits and maximum savings as well as a quick and frustration-free time for the homeowner.

Having a home energy audit performed is always a good method to identify where the worst and poorly insulated areas of a home are located. Once the results are learned, then the homeowner will be in a better position to determine the best type of insulation to have installed. Once that is done, the savings on fuel and electricity for heating and cooling a home will be realized over the expense of investing in the family’s home and comfort.

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Technorati Tags: reflective insulation

Whether your dog will be spending a lot of time outdoors in his dog kennel or just some time, you need to ensure that it is a comfortable environment, and that it offers plenty of protection from either extreme of weather.

Proper location of your dog kennel plays an important role in keeping it at a decent and bearable temperature for your pet. Placing it so that it avoids the hot afternoon sun, and so that there are natural wind shields or breaks around help keep things comfortable. So does facing the door of the kennel away from the direction you get most of your wind and rain from. Aside from this, though, what else can you do?

The most recommended method of keeping your pet cool in summer and warm and cozy in winter is to insulate the kennel. You can use the same materials to insulate your dog pen as you would use for your house. Some materials are easier to work with, and you may also base your decision on what to use on whether you are building it from scratch, or you’re attempting to modify an existing one.

One of the more common materials used for this purpose is the fiberglass panels. One con to using this material is that the fiberglass itself is very irritating should it get into eyes or onto skin. The fiberglass is normally sandwiched between two panels so that it doesn’t come in contact with skin or eyes, but if your dog chews on things you may want to reconsider using this. My pup gnaws on everything she can find, particularly when she’s penned up for an afternoon, or a few hours, and I wouldn’t risk lining her kennel using fiberglass. But if yours doesn’t have the bad habit of chewing, you may be fine to go with this type of insulation.

I’ve also seen cork board used quite effectively to provide decent insulation. It’s a very soft board though, and delightfully tempting for furry friends to chew on. You’d need to also cover this with a harder board paneling if you want to keep it intact. Of course, it doesn’t post the same problems if it somehow finds its way into your pet’s mouth–but it’s safer to cover it and keep it out of sight.

If you’ve already built your kennel, or you purchased a pre-made one that wasn’t insulated, there are things you can do to add it to the outside walls and roof. Different material can be used for this, and you could choose depending on your budget and what is available at your local store. Some suggestions for what to use include foiled tar paper or pre-colored plaster. This may not look as aesthetic but it does the job quite nicely if need be.

Of course it is possible to purchase an already insulated pen, there are plenty available even for ordering online. They are more expensive than the regular ones, but if time is an issue or if you are not able to insulate yourself, you might want to look into these and see if you can find something affordable. Whatever you decide, it is important that your dog kennel and run is comfortable for your pet.

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Technorati Tags: rigid foam board insulation

One of the most commonly faced difficulties is how to add insulating material to a loft space when the floor has already been boarded and the loft is used for storage.

When you are standing in the loft, the depth of the void formed between the plasterboard of the ceiling below and the top of the ceiling joists is usually about 100mm (4"). Given that current building regulations in the UK require 270mm of insulating glass wool, if a home owner wishes to retain a boarded loft and does not want to use a "spray-on" insulation product up between the roof rafters then there is a choice to be made about which direction to take. The main choices are between:

1. Building the joists up with additional "packing joists" to create a 270mm void which can then be filled with insulating material and then re-boarded over.

2. Using a solid insulating board cut to fit in the void that exists between the joists without raising the level of the loft floor.

3. Insulating between the roof rafters with either insulating board, spray on insulation products or insulation blanket products.

This article focuses on the first two potential methods, and looks at their pros and cons.

Before reading the article, please note that there are a number of dangers associated with carrying out work in your loft and great care must be exercised. Follow all safety instructions available from the suppliers of the materials you decide to use and if you have any doubts about your capability to carry out insulation work in your loft safely please consult a qualified builder or insulation contractor.

-Building the floor level up: Pros

1. If you run the additional "packing joists" across the existing joists at 90 degrees, you are able to run wool insulation over the top of the original ceiling joists) which reduces potential "thermal bridging".

2. The materials are, in total, probably less expensive that using insulating board

3. You retain most of your loft storage area.

-Building the floor level up: Cons

1. It’s a big DIY challenge

2. The wood required for the "packing joists" may be heavy and difficult to manoeuvre into position

3. You lose some height in the loft because of the floor being raised

-Insulating with insulation board between the existing joists: Pros

5. Your floor stays the same height and therefore no loft height is lost.

6. You retain your loft storage space

7. There are no heavy timbers to work with

- Insulating with insulation board between the existing joists: Cons

1. Its time consuming and fiddly to cut insulation board to fit between existing joists (which are invariably, even within one loft, are different widths apart). The cutting to size of the thermal boards usually needs to be done before they are taken into the loft space as access is usually restricted but it is also important that any dust resulting from the cutting does not contaminate the property’s living space

2. Insulation board can be costly (up to 50 -60 a sheet depending on the gauge) and care is needed to cut them safely as the resulting dust acts as an irritant

3. Because you are insulating between the ceiling joists you are (by definition) not insulating over the ceiling joists. This means that where the joists run, your insulation is limited to the thermal properties of the joist timber only and your insulation will be "bridged" by the timber i.e. cold will be able to be transferred through the timber joists.

4. Where a home has been built with traditional 4" x 2" timber ceiling joists you are unlikely to get much more than 90mm of insulation board in between the joists (this will vary from property to property). It might be that if there is any old fashioned electrical conduit that needs to be worked around, you get even less than 90mm in.

Issues to worry about include thermal "bridging" when building up the joists to get the required height or when filling between the joists and re-boarding straight over the original joists.

From a pure insulation, building regulations and "required effort" point of view the best solution is getting a professional contractor in to carry out the required work.

To sum up, if retaining storage space in your loft is important then you can improve your level of insulation but you may have to compromise on the level of insulation you ultimately have and you have to be realistic about the difficulty and complexity of the DIY task involved.

A Gift Worth Keeping

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Insulating and sealing your home is perhaps the most cost effective step towards energy and money savings. A home owner can save around 10% on their annual energy bill and the best part is, there’s no need to hire a contractor because insulating and sealing your home is easy to do.

To ensure the biggest savings make sure your attic is well insulated as insulation helps prevent heat loss in the winter and heat gain in the summer. The topic of insulation itself is difficult to cover thoroughly since different insulation has different R-values. The R-value is the measure of the insulation’s ability to resist heat flow. The higher the R-value, the higher the insulating characteristics of the material being used. In new homes the recommended R-value for attics is R-44 – R-50, R-38 is acceptable in most areas but if you live in an extremely cold climate R-49 is recommended. A good rule of thumb is to measure how deep the insulation is in your attic and if it’s not between 12-15 inches, then you will want to add more.

A staggering 10 – 25% of your heat and a/c is lost through your windows and doors. Cracks around your windows and doors are usually easy to find because you can feel a draft coming through or actually see the cracks. You should caulk all cracks around your windows and weather strip all the way around your exterior doors to eliminate these loses and make your home more efficient. While you’re at it, look in your attic, basement, and crawlspace for holes around flues and vents. These holes are a little harder to find but also contribute to heat loss and gain depending on the time of year. You will want to use either caulk or spray foam to eliminate these losses.

Additional Ways to Save

• Consider replacing single-pane windows with Energy Star qualified double-pane low-emissive windows to help cut down on heat transfer and ultraviolet light.
• Open drapes on your south-facing windows during the winter to let in natural light and heat. At night close all drapes and blinds in effort to reduce heat loss through your windows. Adversely, close all drapes on the south facing windows during hot summer days to prevent the sun from heating up your home.

Author: Bradley C. Williams

Bradley C. Williams is a successful internet marketer with a focus on cutting energy consumption and waste while bringing alternative energy sources to the forefront. He would like to invite you to http://www.everyalternative.com/ to learn more about renewable energy sources. Please also visit http://www.profitlancecompanion.com/ to see how he got started in internet marketing.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bradley_C._Williams

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