All About Interior Design » Insulation

Exposed Ducting and Energy Savings

Avatar — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 06:41:22 +0000

There is a new trend where duct-work that used to be hidden away in the crawlspace in between the roof and the ceiling is exposed to save on energy. What ever the hell gave us that idea? Well, as it turns out, these duct-work that carries heated/cooled air through he house is one source of wasted energy for they leak and they leak bad. Escaping air cools or warms the crawlspace instead of the interior of the house. Go to any attic in winter and you’ll see. Even the most professional job of installing them results in a leak or two in the duct work that wastes energy in terms of the power we spend for cooling and heating. The new approach has people exposing these duct-work which truly are ugly but finding better ways of concealing them as if they were intended to look that way. Faux finishes, moldings and cornices can work added to some creative painting and you too can save on your electricity and gas bills.

DIY – Know The Trade

editor — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 10:05:50 +0000

DIY is such and enjoyable past time that many people are turning to it to get their home repairs done. Cash strapped homeowners have no choice for though they haven’t got enough cash for a contractor, they still need to repair their home for safety and practical reasons.
DIY is simple if you take it to heart and learn as much as you can from the experts; watching TV, reading books and other educational materials. The first part of learning the trade has some undesirable side effects which is mistakes, accept it and take it in so you can focus form your mistakes. Invest in a manageable collection of tools that are to last you a lifetime. Once you begin doing DIY, you just can’t stop for it brings out the kid in you and the amazement that you have done a good job.

Insulation = Energy Savings (Part 2)

Avatar — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 06:47:19 +0000

The doors and jamb may not be able to hold the weight of a two paned door or window so other solutions must be found. Draperies and curtains that have some insulating ability like those made of thick materials such as wool or similar materials can add insulation keeping cold air in and the warm air out. Living rooms and other spaces of the house that do not have double glazed windows can be given higher reflective properties by using special glass that has a slight mirroring or better yet have some car window tint installed into the ones that face into the sun during the hottest times of the day. They would allow the sun’s rays to be reflected outwards filtering out harmful UV in the process.

Insulation = Energy Savings (Part 1)

Avatar — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 06:43:56 +0000

A well insulated house has high energy efficiency for all the energy used in heating and cooling is maintained indoors where it should be and not out into the environment. Sadly no home is perfectly insulated and even the most high tech homes have some inefficiency in terms of insulation. The work that is needed to properly insulate a home is quite large and it should be done when major roof repairs are carried out. Re-insulation or adding insulation can solve some of the heat problems but it still isn’t a total solution. For rooms with French windows and doors, this can be hard do get double pane glass for due to the huge amount of glass involved and the weight restrictions