Winter Beware!!

[chainsawaddict]

I am armed with new windows, insulation, and a steel siding window wrap! I am anxious to see if it saves me a cord of wood this winter. That would be cooooool, or I guess it would be warm

Anybody think it'll make much difference?

 

[mga]

I am armed with new windows, insulation, and a steel siding window wrap! I am anxious to see if it saves me a cord of wood this winter. That would be cooooool, or I guess it would be warm

Anybody think it'll make much difference?

how could one ever tell? with the heating costs soaring, how do you differentiate last years bills from this coming?

i realize every little bit helps, but it seems like the more you do, the higher the bills get anyways.

 

[Rookie1]

I cant say numberwise but im sure you will easily tell a difference. My HVAC guy says isulating is your best way to spend money on heating your house.I replaced my 70s era oil furnace with a new oil furnace 6 years ago and could tell a difference in oil bills. Then 5 years ago I remodeled,added vinyl siding, and not all new windows,I ran out of money, but I could tell a difference again. Now this is my third year with wood and I sm still figuring out heat consumption.

 

[chainsawaddict]

how could one ever tell? with the heating costs soaring, how do you differentiate last years bills from this coming?

i realize every little bit helps, but it seems like the more you do, the higher the bills get anyways.

i got by on 10% of my 500 gallon propane tank last winter. The only time I used my furnace was when we left for a trip over thanksgiving and xmas. We'll just see how much wood i burn this year.

 

[cjcocn]

I am armed with new windows, insulation, and a steel siding window wrap! I am anxious to see if it saves me a cord of wood this winter. That would be cooooool, or I guess it would be warm

Anybody think it'll make much difference?

It will definitely make a difference. How much of a difference depends on how much more efficient your house is. If you are going from no insulation to having insulated walls, the difference will be huge. If your windows are original and you live in a (for example) 100 year old house, the difference will be huge.

As long as your house doesn't have a major heat loss path (eg. uninsulated attic, etc), then you will easily burn less wood.

Once you heat your house up it will stay warmer longer so you will not have to stoke up the fire as often. You will probably have to run your stove less hot overall.

Some friends of our added 2" of styrofoam insulation to their house and changed all of their windows. Now instead of needing a fire all day they make a fire in the morning, let it burn down, and make a fire again in the late afternoon when the house begins to cool off. They also have electric heat (probably the most popular form of heat around here since electricity is fairly inexpensive) and their electric bill is down noticeably.

I've a strong feeling that you are going to like the results!

 

[mga]

i got by on 10% of my 500 gallon propane tank last winter. The only time I used my furnace was when we left for a trip over thanksgiving and xmas. We'll just see how much wood i burn this year.

don't get me wrong, man....i'm an advocate of insulating a house. it's the one best thing any home owner can do. you can never have enough insulation.

even those who heat with just wood should go out of their way to add insulation.

here's cheap window tip for those who can't replace them: buy bubble wrap that is 24 inches wide and has bubbles that are 3/4" to 1". cut pieces to fit on the windows with the bubbles against the glass. use 3M painters tape to hold this in place and to seal it around the window frame. you can buy a huge roll of this for less than $50. one roll should last a couple of years.

when it's below zero out, you can touch the bubble wrap and it won't be cold. it's a cheap way of insulating windows and it may block the view, but it works!

also, add those receptacle pads behind wall outlets and switches. those are great for stopping drafts from the walls.

foam any wiring or pipes that protrude wall plates or even thru floors.

if you want to find out where your house leaks air, put a window fan in the window blowing out. seal the fan around the window tightly. close every door and window in the house and you can actually feel air leaking in because of the vacuum from different places like doors, windows, wall switches, outlets etc etc. if you do feel air, seal them with caulk, foam, pads or whatever.

 

[chainsawaddict]

don't get me wrong, man....i'm an advocate of insulating a house. it's the one best thing any home owner can do. you can never have enough insulation.

even those who heat with just wood should go out of their way to add insulation.

here's cheap window tip for those who can't replace them: buy bubble wrap that is 24 inches wide and has bubbles that are 3/4" to 1". cut pieces to fit on the windows with the bubbles against the glass. use 3M painters tape to hold this in place and to seal it around the window frame. you can buy a huge roll of this for less than $50. one roll should last a couple of years.

when it's below zero out, you can touch the bubble wrap and it won't be cold. it's a cheap way of insulating windows and it may block the view, but it works!

also, add those receptacle pads behind wall outlets and switches. those are great for stopping drafts from the walls.

foam any wiring or pipes that protrude wall plates or even thru floors.

if you want to find out where your house leaks air, put a window fan in the window blowing out. seal the fan around the window tightly. close every door and window in the house and you can actually feel air leaking in because of the vacuum from different places like doors, windows, wall switches, outlets etc etc. if you do feel air, seal them with caulk, foam, pads or whatever.

Thanks for the tips!!