"# Fred #" writes:
It certainly stops at my house as I'm freezing my ass off for weeks now.
Whenever I turn the thermostat up a notch I know it'll cost me later by
digging deeper into my wallet.
I need some help as my house is so energy inefficient. The house is late
1970s and is located in the Bay Area. Except for the HW heater it has not
been updated, energy wise. It has concrete tile roof without plywood or OSB
sheeting under it (so attic fan is useless) such that it absorbs heat in the
Summer days and release it back into the house during nights - very hot
regarding the second floor bedrooms. Its a two story house with a split
HVAC, about 4" blown in insulation in the attic and single pane windows and
sliding patio doors. I don't have the cash reserve to do everything at once
so where should I start first to get the most efficient use of my money? I'm
looking at long term so I want to do it right. Do I start with replacing the
windows first, than insulation and lastly the HVAC and the front entry
double doors, or is it in a difference sequence? Maybe perhaps a new roof
too? I would like to incorporate some solar energy and/or some kind of heat
recovery system sometime in the future after the basic energy upgrades are
finished. I like to go for it if I could visualize payback within
20 years.
Windows are generally regarded to have among the longest payback
times, so they may not be the place to start.
More attic insulation is a huge bang for the buck though. I'd start
there.
Windows, however do provide a great deal of comfort in stopping drafts
and making things feel a lot better. If you don't have the reserve
now, consider plastic window film. The 3m window kits are actually
wonderful, and once treated with the blow dryer, they almost
disappear. For windows that spend most of the winter behind curtains
anyway, all the better. The 3m tape is where it's at--if you buy
bargain windows kits, you may regret it.
But if you can afford to do windows, do. They should payback in 20
years unless you go nuts with the top of the line windows.
Heating ... what do you have now?
--
Todd H.
http://toddh.net/