|
|
| Author |
Message |
| 25 new of 86 responses total. |
keesan
|
|
response 34 of 86:
| 
Oct 19 20:13 UTC 2007 |
Are you enclosing the concrete to make a sunporch?
|
ball
|
|
response 35 of 86:
|
Oct 19 22:09 UTC 2007 |
Not this year, although I suppose it's a possibility for the future.
|
keesan
|
|
response 36 of 86:
|
Oct 20 04:05 UTC 2007 |
It would have helped to put styrofoam insulation under it to retain any heat.
But you can use rugs on top instead and not have the heat go into the slab.
|
ball
|
|
response 37 of 86:
|
Oct 20 05:11 UTC 2007 |
I have been giving some thought over the last few days to the furnace,
which someone decided should live in the crawlspace. I can't help
wondering how much money I will spend each year heating the ground
under the house. I should seal and perhaps insulate the ducting, but
I honestly doubt that I will fit into the crawlspace. :-(
|
rcurl
|
|
response 38 of 86:
|
Oct 20 05:57 UTC 2007 |
I once installed a horizontal gas furnace in a crawlspace. I didn't think
it wasted any significant energy "heating the ground". It wasn't a
high-efficiency furnace so some heat was wasted, but if it is a
high-efficiency furnace nothing external gets very hot.
|
ball
|
|
response 39 of 86:
|
Oct 20 18:43 UTC 2007 |
Well that's some consolation. I will have to try squeezing myself
into the crawlspace somehow to seel and insulate the ducts, insulate
(and identify) the water pipes, to install new television coax cable
and perhaps some new electrical wiring. None of these are jobs that
I'm looking forward to.
|
rcurl
|
|
response 40 of 86:
|
Oct 20 19:25 UTC 2007 |
...and a gas pipe to the furnace, and drain if it is a high efficiency
furnace. I did pour concrete pads to which to fasten the furnace, but I
*think* they can also be hung from the joists (better check on that). But
bolted to the pads no vibration was transferred to the house.
|
keesan
|
|
response 41 of 86:
|
Oct 20 23:09 UTC 2007 |
Andy, it might make more sense to insulate the crawlspace walls and retain
ground heat. Is there insulation in the crawlspace ceiling? You can insulate
the walls on the inside (fiberglass or foam) but it will be awkward. You can
add insulation on the outside but make sure if styrofoam that it has built-in
antproofing. They like to nest in it. Then cover with cement board. Dig
down about four feet around the foundation first. Or pay someone to do that.
|
ball
|
|
response 42 of 86:
|
Oct 21 00:49 UTC 2007 |
The crawlspace appears to be basically a shallow pit dug under the
house. I have yet to stick my head far enough into the pit to see
whether there's any kind of wall around the outside of it.
|
keesan
|
|
response 43 of 86:
|
Oct 21 01:01 UTC 2007 |
There has to be a wall to hold up the house walls. You can try to insulate
it in order to keep the house and floor warmer. Does your house itself have
wall or ceiling insulation? Judging from the water heater in an unheated
brick garage it sounds unlikely. Stick your head up into the attic if there
is a trapdoor.
|
ball
|
|
response 44 of 86:
|
Oct 21 04:40 UTC 2007 |
The house has ceiling insulation, which I'm told is lose-fill
cellulose, so it should be easy to add more. I doubt the walls are
insulated. I'm considering a tankless water heater.
|
keesan
|
|
response 45 of 86:
|
Oct 22 00:16 UTC 2007 |
Is the house wall brick? If you can get into the attic, you might be able
to pour loose fill insulation into the walls, or blow it in.
|
ball
|
|
response 46 of 86:
|
Oct 22 01:44 UTC 2007 |
The wall is brick. I don't know whether there's a cavity.
|
keesan
|
|
response 47 of 86:
|
Oct 22 02:28 UTC 2007 |
Brick is at least good for reducing air movement, and nice because it does
not rot or need painting. Around here it raised property taxes.
Jim drilled holes in the top plates of his walls and blew in bits of styrofoam
using a vacuum cleaner, from the attic. Can you get into the attic, or is
it one of those shallow roofed 50-60s houses?
I suppose you could drill holes in the drywall on the inside and blow in
insulation. It makes a mess, but the cellulose stuff is not dangerous.
What was last year's heat bill?
|
ball
|
|
response 48 of 86:
|
Oct 22 14:21 UTC 2007 |
I've seen cellulose blown into the wall cavity of a brick house in
England. The blower, hopper and presumably bags of insulation were in
the back of a large van. Holes were drilled in the walls from the
outside, insulation was injected and then the holes were plugged. I
have no way of knowing what last year's heating bill was.
|
keesan
|
|
response 49 of 86:
|
Oct 22 17:44 UTC 2007 |
In English brick houses might be built with two layers of brick and a cavity
in between (to keep the house a bit warmer). Here it is easier to drill holes
in drywall rather than brick. You can ask the company from which you purchase
your heating fuel about last year's monthly bills.
|
ball
|
|
response 50 of 86:
|
Oct 22 23:36 UTC 2007 |
Yes, in Britain it's probably fair to say that most homes would be
built with some sort of wall cavity. Perhaps they're even pre-
insulated these days.
|
ball
|
|
response 51 of 86:
|
Oct 30 20:49 UTC 2007 |
It turns out that the post in the crawlspace /did/ have a concrete
footing, but it was concealed by layer of dirt. The bottom of the post
had rotted somewhat, so it's probably fortunate that we had it
supplemented when we did.
|
ball
|
|
response 52 of 86:
|
Nov 7 23:50 UTC 2007 |
Ugh... need a new furnace. :-|
|
ball
|
|
response 53 of 86:
|
Nov 25 06:44 UTC 2007 |
I had wondered whether there was a header tank, to feed the
house with water. Today I found a "pressure" tank in the pit
at the well head. It will be interesting to see whether this
freezes during the winter.
|
ball
|
|
response 54 of 86:
|
Aug 24 14:00 UTC 2008 |
New furnace, air conditioner, ductwork and installation comes to
something in the region of US$ 9,000. The ductwork is necessary because
the new furnace will have to go in the attic where there is currently no
ductwork. The monster in the crawlspace will be disconnected, pushed
off to the side and left to die. The old registers sealed to reduce the
ingress of air from the crawlspace.
|
keesan
|
|
response 55 of 86:
|
Aug 24 15:03 UTC 2008 |
Why not use the crawlspace again, where it is warmer in winter? (Also insulate
the walls of it).
What is the nighttime summer low temperature where you live?
Here it rarely stays above 70. We added lots of insulation, and we ventilate
at night, close up in the morning, and it stays cool. Much cheaper than air
conditioning and more comfortable. A ceiling fan in one room for when it hits
80 (after a 75 degree night). Close the kitchen door if you are cooking
during the day, and open the windows there.
|
ball
|
|
response 56 of 86:
|
Aug 24 17:54 UTC 2008 |
Limited access to the crawlspace precludes installation of new equipment
(or extraction of the existing stuff). I don't know what summer low
temperature would be. For much of the year we are able to open windows
for a through breeze. The kitchen has no doors and no window that
opens.
|
keesan
|
|
response 57 of 86:
|
Aug 24 20:17 UTC 2008 |
You can look up weather records online, and you can probably install a kitchen
window cheaper than you can install and use air conditioning. I put a
hotplate outside and cook there when it is hotter out than in. Do you have
a porch or other covered outdoor area?
If you put a furnace in the attic, can you build a small insulated space
around it?
|
ball
|
|
response 58 of 86:
|
Aug 25 05:03 UTC 2008 |
The only small section of exterior wall that the kitchen has, already
has a window in it. Sadly the Mulberry tree eliminates most of the
light that could come in through that. In a few years, when we get the
roof re-done, I should probably install a skylight. The kitchen may be
the darkest room in the house. I'm pretty sure the kitchen window
doesn't open. When I asked the HVAC people about insulation for the
furnace they said there was adequate insulation built into its cabinet.
|