We live in a first floor flat with an empty space (the entrance to the under-flat car park) below us. Although it's a modern flat with supposedly high insulation, the floor in the lounge seems very cold and draughty and the heating takes ages to warm the place up.
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posted by mairuzu
on Feb 12, 2013 -
8 answers
I live in a one-floor condo unit that was, to put it mildly, poorly built. I, and all my neighbors, have dealt with too many issues to count regarding insulation, wiring, and even window and door frames. I'm no longer satisfied fixing things one at a time...
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posted by trivia genius
on Feb 1, 2013 -
24 answers
I live in a 1993-construction modified cape-style house, in New England. Three floors, ~1900 square feet. The rim joists in the (unfinished, unheated) basement have been air-sealed with Great Stuff expanding foam. Do I really want or need fiberglass batting in the basement ceiling joist bays?
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posted by ellF
on Aug 13, 2012 -
4 answers
I share a
wall with my roommate, which isn't as acoustically opaque as I would like (I'm occasionally woken up by late-night activities). What's the best/cheapest way to soundproof it?
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posted by Dr. Eigenvariable
on Jul 28, 2012 -
26 answers
We live in a 160 year old stone house in Scotland that is really cold in winter. Please help me make it warmer? I've been told it's easy to take down the drywall/plasterboard, install insulation, and put more drywall/plasterboard up again. But is it?
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posted by hazyjane
on Jul 14, 2012 -
23 answers
Calling all home improvement gurus and energy efficiency wizards--help me figure out how to better insulate my attic! I've read through a bunch of information on energystar.gov and other websites about insulating attics, but the more I read the more confused I get about how to do this, because I have the world's weirdest attic. HELP.
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posted by iminurmefi
on Jul 3, 2012 -
12 answers
Experiences and techniques for dealing with noise mitigation in an apartment with only partial bedroom walls?
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posted by phoenixy
on Jun 8, 2012 -
9 answers
Just replaced a 50-year-old tar/gravel roof with white shingles. This is in Florida. But now the house is hothothot, heat keeps rising, air-conditioner runs constantly but can't keep up! It's just after noon and 84 degrees in here! The roof is low-hip, the attic is a crawl space insulated to about R-30, there's a turbine on the roof and three passive vents. Still hot! Depressing after writing such a big check. Capable roofer says previous thick layer of tar/gravel probably insulated a lot. But now what's my next step? 1. Would a white latex coating be more cost-effective than a solar-powered vent? 2. Any other suggestions? Whew, and thanks!
posted by fivesavagepalms
on Apr 28, 2012 -
16 answers
Will black plastic sheeting insulate my windows as well as the commercial shrink-wrap stuff? I've used window insulator kits like
this and they work great. I was wondering if I could skimp. First, would any plastic do as well? I already use
this stuff to block light while I sleep. If that's not as good, is there something special about shrinking the commercial kit plastic with a hair dryer, or is that just for looks? I'd rather not borrow one every year.
posted by Noumenon
on Nov 29, 2011 -
14 answers
We just had an energy audit done for our 104 year old house and 3/4 of the heat loss was coming from the uninsulated walls. I was advised to get cellulose insulation. I've heard bad things about blowing insulation into old houses like mine, but the auditor said it would be densely packed and not be a problem. I've been reading up and haven't been able to find any definitive answers. Is it okay to have cellulose insulation blown in to my old house if it is densely packed?
posted by charred husk
on Nov 11, 2011 -
14 answers
hi, i live in south west victoria, Australia. i am about to put a color bond roof on my weather board house, has any one done this lately? I am at a loss, of who to start shopping with for the sheets, hardware needed and the insulation. Which is my other problem i have been told to use sisalation (not right spelling i know) but i have had good reports on foil board, what have others used? i do have fiber blow in insulaion, but some of its damaged due to rain getting in, would it be better to replace this with pink bats or more fiber fill or what? i hope some one can help thanks
posted by the finishing post
on Nov 10, 2011 -
4 answers
Sound engineers, please give me some great ideas for making my home studio acoustically stable on a budget.
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posted by hanoixan
on Sep 22, 2011 -
7 answers
Once we get rid of all the mold, what's the best way to moisture-proof our crawlspace?
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posted by Andrhia
on Sep 18, 2011 -
2 answers
When apartment-hunting, how can you tell if a place has good inter-unit sound insulation?
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posted by threeants
on Jul 9, 2011 -
16 answers
Technical question for architects / builders / roofers about attic ventilation in a southern zone. I'm renovating a house in south/central Texas (Brazos County), and I need some advice on how to properly ventilate my roof, as the original soffit/gable ventilation now seems quite messed up.
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posted by SpecialK
on Apr 2, 2011 -
2 answers
Apartment rental. Subdivided house circa 1910. Help us tweak these original single-pane wood frame windows so as not to freeze.
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posted by deludingmyself
on Feb 22, 2011 -
13 answers
[DIY-Filter] What is the best material to use for hanging partitions from a garage ceiling if the goal is to provide the most insulation/highest r-factor?
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posted by GnomeChompsky
on Jan 11, 2011 -
8 answers
Does anyone have comparison info between UltraTouch and T.A.P. (Thermal-acoustical-pest control) insulation?
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posted by abednega
on Dec 29, 2010 -
1 answer
The fake plastic double glazing we put over our kitchen door worked great for one day but then started to fall off. How can we do better when we replace it?
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posted by daisyk
on Dec 5, 2010 -
4 answers
What's the cutting edge in gloves that allow for high levels of dexterity in extreme conditions (e.g. north pole). A colleague and I have been thinking up creative ways to allow high levels of dexterity while keeping the insulation factor high. Say you're a worker that has to work outdoors in extreme conditions for periods of up to an hour, yet you need to be able to work with hand tools, press buttons, etc.
Is there an industry standard for this sort of thing?
Anyone have any info on state of the art (or near future) technology in this area?
posted by spacediver
on Nov 26, 2010 -
21 answers
My apartment's back exit has a windowed door (similar to
this, although it's only a single door) and no storm door. It's drafty and I'd like to insulate it as much as I can,
sans all but the most rudimentary carpentry skills. What's my best temporary solution?
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posted by Knicke
on Nov 10, 2010 -
10 answers
Hi All, I need some help and recommendations on the best method to insulate one's house envelope + attic. I'm somewhat handy, but I don't want to get in over my head with skill-level or cost.
I'm thinking of the DIY spray foam insulation, any recommendations?
Please see detailed explanation.
Thanks
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posted by absolutshrk
on Nov 8, 2010 -
6 answers
What's the best way to create a removable, reasonably air-tight seal in a large non-square space?
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posted by JohnFredra
on Oct 20, 2010 -
9 answers
Should I replace my ugly (more energy efficient) doors with some older, more attractive ones? If so, how to go about it?
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posted by Red Loop
on Sep 26, 2010 -
4 answers
Related back to
this question, we are finally pulling the trigger on a new furnace, hoping to get the work done before a state rebate program for such purchases expires. We have gotten several good bids, and are taking more, but the best one came from a guy who would also fix our insulation problem- for $7000. We're a little daunted.
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posted by pickypicky
on Sep 17, 2010 -
5 answers
My
new home is surprisingly hot and energy-intensive in the summer months. It's clad in
EIFS (the false stucco that is supposed to be a good insulator) but the problem is the roof. How can I insulate my mostly flat roof which appears to be too thin to allow "blow-in" insulation?
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posted by anotherpanacea
on Sep 11, 2010 -
23 answers
My house is very poorly insulated, and the Texas summer is about to attack in full force. What's my course of action to fix this, and what can I do in the meantime to mitigate costs?
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posted by Willie0248
on May 25, 2010 -
12 answers
attic insulation question: I live in a split level home that has two separate attics. Is it counterproductive to have one attic better insulated than the other? (more specifics inside)
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posted by cheemee
on Dec 16, 2009 -
4 answers
I'm renting a flat and it's cold, and it's going to get colder (I'm on a 1 year contract in the alps). Is there anything noninvasive (preferably cheap, but I'm ok to spend if it's really going to work) that I can do to warm the place up? What sort of portable space heaters give the best performance for electricity/gas? Are there any decent renter-based guides to improving insulation?
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posted by handee
on Oct 14, 2009 -
26 answers
I have and Ikea Pax wardrobe along the wall of our bedroom and I'm going to frame in around it from the walls and ceiling to give it a "built in" look. The exterior wall behind it is poorly insulated (90 year-old house). It's got about 10" space all the way around and 4" behind. Should I be thinking about vapour barriers and such?
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posted by bonobothegreat
on Oct 6, 2009 -
7 answers
Is leaving the windows in my attic cracked beneficial for keeping my air conditioning bill low?
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posted by JFitzpatrick
on Jun 22, 2009 -
4 answers
How do I insulate my crawlspace? I'm thinking about next winter, now that I've barely survived this past one in the US Northeast. My house doesn't have a basement: it's built on concrete piers with a 1-2.5 foot crawlspace between the ground and the first floor. What would be the best way to insulate in this situation?
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posted by geos
on Apr 14, 2009 -
9 answers
