30 new of 86 responses total.
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?
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.
You can replace that window with one that does open (awning window or casement window for maximum ventilation). I can't imagine any amount of insulation built into a furnace is adequate, considering how hot it gets and how cold the attic gets. Does it have foot thick walls? If you insulated well, electric heat could be cheaper than a furnace.
If you insulated well, the furnace will be much cheaper than electric.
We insulated well and it will cost about $100/year for electric heat. It costs $8/month to read the gas meter, and I think the price of gas is going up faster than that of electricity. A house heated only by electricity, with a separate meter, gets a low time of day rate (lower at all times, down to about 2.5 cents/kwh during off-peak hours). There is no heat loss to basement or attic - it all does into living spaces. There is no pollution generated in or near the house. The temperature goes up at least 5 degrees if we turn on the fluorescent lights (about 400 watts total). An electrically heated house lets you heat different spaces to different temperatures, and does not need to have air blowing around cooling you off and stirring up dust. (Nor does hot-water heat in radiators or the floor).
FWIW, I have found that the cheapest way to heat my house is to use a furnace to heat it to around 55 degrees and to use electric space heaters in the area where I spend the most time.
We heat the rooms where we spend time, when we are in them and awake, to about 55 degrees, and the rest above freezing. But my $100 calculation was for keeping the whole place 60 degrees. Slynne, do you have any insulation? Insulated walls make you feel warmer at the same temperature, and reduce drafts. Jim has basement wall insulation but it is not yet on the walls. He bought it before I met him. A ceiling fan helps a lot when it gets over 80 inside.
I have some insulation but I am sure I could insulate the house better. Except I know that I'll never get around to it. But maybe someday, I'll hire someone to do it. I have very drafty windows though. I am going to take extra time to winterize them this year though with that rope caulk stuff and the plastic film that goes over them. I did just the plastic film last year and the year before and it certainly did make a difference.
Reading these suggestions I started to think about getting an electric heating quote, but then I realised that the a/c requires forced air so the bulk of the project would still be required. The a/c is not optional because we wouldn't be able to sell the house without working a/c and a furnace.
Have you thought of selling it and moving to some place better designed? Jim's brother in CA was refused a loan on his house unless he added a swimming pool because you can't sell houses without swimming pools.
Most homes in CA do not have swimming pools. But I suppose in some exclusive housing developments that might occur, though I wonder if it is legal to refuse a loan on such a basis.
Re #66: There is no way we could afford to sell the house now. It will probably take us ten years to break even, let alone see any profit. Ideally I'd bulldoze it and start from scratch, but short of a lottery win that's not going to happen either.
I can't help wondering how much a prefabricated "green" home would cost. I'm sure it's more than I'll be able to come up with, but it might be less expensive than trying to fix this old place up.
Four years later... Structural It took a few attempts and probably a couple of thousand dollars, but we had splints put on the main beam that supports the house. We no longer have a huge gap between the floor and the bottom of the skirting board. The floor seems to move slightly when we walk across it though. The concrete slab at the back of the house was replaced. I like the idea of a sun porch / conservatory there but the position of a door and window would complicate that and I can't afford to build one anyway. The house has been disconnected from the well and connected to city water. This involved having the drive- way replaced. The masonary around the well pit has failed so I'll have to get some quotes from builders to have that filled. My pet theory is that we could drop a round concrete pipe vertically into the pit and then surround the outside with gravel and perhaps keep a sump pump at the bottom of the pit. We've done nothing with the roof. The shingles are starting to peel at the edges a bit but we'll eek as much life from the existing roof as we can. Electrical I've not done anything to upgrade the wiring in the house. I know it needs doing because the outlets fail a ground test and the wiring in the attic has fabric insulation so may date back to when the house was built. I use GFCIs on a few things. Most of the lights are 10 or 15W CFL except for a couple of ceiling fans and the bathroom mirror. Plumbing The hot water heater is on its last legs: it makes loud popping and crackling noises and fumes leak into the garage where it lives. This is creeping up the priority list. Ideally I'd replace it with one that I could add solar hot water panels to at some point in the future but I'll have to see how much that adds to the cost. Decorating We bought a rug for the front room and had fitted carpet installed in the family room. We've painted the bathroom and my daughter's room. The living room needs painting.
What year was the house built? Have you considered an instantaneous water heater? Where would you put the solar panels? If you replace your roof, consider a metal roof with seams that you can attach to.
The house was built in 1951 I think. I've considered a tankless model. Some people claim they're more efficient but if they rule out solar hot water that wouldn't be much of an advantage. The solar panels would sit on the roof of the attached garage, close to the water heater.
I think you can preheat the water with the solar water heater and then use the instantaneous heater to heat it hotter. Which probably requires a tank. If you use a lot of hot water it might pay for itself.
I have some wiring to do: The indoor light fixture just inside the front door hasn't worked for years. Now the two lights just outside the front door also don't work. In the attic I've seen wiring with fabric insulation, so I suspect that dates back to when the house was built in 1951. I could run a new wire to near the front door but it may make more sense to run a wire down the middle of the attic with a few junction boxes so that I can tap into it as I upgrade the lighting in each room.
Has it really been four years since those lights failed? I should get an electrician in to give me a quote on a new lighting circuit.
o/` Time keeps on slippin', slippin', slippin' into the future ... o/`
Thinking about replacing the kitchen window and perhaps a couple of screen doors. How picky should I be about my choice of wood for the framing (given that it will be painted)?
Is wood required?
Re #78: Probably, yes.
resp:77 I think you've decided "very picky" if it has taken six months to choose. ;)
Re. #80: We're still using the doors and windows that came with the house. I suppose the wood we use for the framing, door jams etc. might matter less once it's painted. I just wondered whether certain species were less prone to water damage over time.
Where does keesan lurk these days?
Re. #82: I'm not sure but I wish her well, wherever that is.
Still plodding along with the windows we got when we
moved in. I've called a couple of window companies and left
messages but they don't seem to want the business.
resp:83 It's a deep subject.
We're ready for new screen doors and one or two exterior doors. I'm leaning towards wood even though that's more expensive than steel. Even though I think I know what's involved in fitting a pre-hung door, I'll probably pay to have them professionally installed.
I did a metal solid fitted left in door. Wood would have been nice but the flux in atmosphere makes them so fickle.
You have several choices: