Do you also live in a house that has plaster walls and no insulation? Our house is at least 5 degrees cooler inside than the temperature outside. Since most rooms have new/newer windows, the house isn't drafty. Is this a design feature from the 20s?
Sincerely,
Lisa
PS: I don't want to have to buy a fancy snuggie from Urban...
The majority of heat loss actually is through your roof. Something like 80%+ if I remember correctly. The next biggest heat loss is through windows. Lastly, your walls. So if your attic isn't well insulated, dump as much in there as possible. It is much easier and cheaper than trying to insulate your walls. If your attic is well insulated (R45 around here), and your windows aren't leaking, there are other things you can do. Like install storm windows (interior or exterior) to add another air pocket. Seal up the bottom of the baseboards. Remove the covers from outlets and seal them up as well (they make foam pieces just for this). Anything helps! :)
ReplyDeleteYeah, I think it's mostly your attic.
ReplyDeleteYep. Warm air rises, so if you don't have drafts, the attic is where much of the heat is going. Some radiates in all directions and is transmitted through the different surfaces (like windows), but the attic is a good place to start.
ReplyDeleteThanks everyone for your suggestions! So here's some additional information about our house: it's a cape cod with a remodeled attic space (done in the early 90s by previous owners). We know that all of the knee walls are insulated. The floors are the original attic wood floors so most likely there is no insulation between the upstairs floors and downstairs ceiling. Also the downstairs floors are hardwood with no subfloors. We did insulate the ceiling of the basement.
ReplyDelete