ENERGY EFFICIENCY
As charming as ARLINGTON FOREST homes may be, it should come as no surprise that they are not energy-efficient. Plenty of fresh air is available, inside the houses, since they were built in an era of cheap energy and before many now common energy- saving measures became available, such as vapor barriers, air- tight windows, etc. In particular, there is no insulation in the walls of our houses and the original 2" of insulation in the attic is now packed down to a minimum. The composition of a typical wall is the 3 3/4" brick veneer, 1" air space, 1" celotex type sub-sheathing, 3 3/4" wood stud and then 1" interior plaster wall.
The original furnace system is about 30% efficient. The theory of duct systems at the time require that heat ducts be on inside walls with air return on outside walls, the opposite of current thinking. Houses were laid on their lots in an apparent geometric fashion, without regard to the relationship between the house and the sun. The major advantage to the ARLINGTON FOREST house regarding energy efficiency is the forest, the mature trees that surround our area. In the summer especially, this factor is worth about one ton of power from an air conditioner.
A professional architect and ARLINGTON FOREST resident made detailed calculations of the heat loss from a FOREST home on a typical winter day (53 degree difference between inside and outside temperatures, 70 degrees - 17 degrees.) These calculations show that these houses lose a little over 63,000 BTU/hour. Of this, 22,000 BTU is lost through the attic, 41,000 through the walls, and 13,000 through the windows if steel casement, or 9,000 if wood double-hung. These three areas logically should receive priority attention from the homeowner.
The energy equation for a house consists of passive elements (heat loss) and active elements (heat generation). Let's examine the three areas mentioned above for improved insulation.
ATTIC INSULATION
Over one-third of the total heat loss in a FOREST home is through the attic. R-19 fiberglass insulation (the 6" thick pink type, not foil backed) installed between floor joists over the existing rockwool will cut heat loss from 22,000 to 1500 BTU! This is an incredible saving for a small investment of money and time. A second layer of the same insulation cuts attic heat loss in half again but at this point the saving are quite small. Also, a second layer precludes using the attic for storage.
Avoid the temptation to close your gable vents in the winter, thinking that this will keep the attic warmer. The open gable vents are necessary to allow the moisture generated by the house and its occupants to escape. Closing the vents or louvers could lead to serious condensation problems which eventually leads to rotting in the roof. This is the same reason for using unbacked insulation.
Remember to insulate the access trap door or pull-down stairs to the attic, as mentioned earlier. If you have the door, save a few lengths of insulation to pull across the opening before you close it. Better yet, attach insulation to a piece of light wood or cardboard that you can easily slide across the opening.
Pull-down stairs create a challenge because they extend above the attic floor level when closed. A second idea for building an "insulation box," different from the one proposed earlier of styrofoam, is to build a frame out of 2x4's. Since most attic pull-down stairs are built for a 2'x4' ceiling opening, the frame will have to be a bit larger. Cut sides and top out of masonite, re-enforcing corners with 1/2" x 3/4" molding to facilitate gluing the box together. The box should be 16" high to clear the folder stairs and allow use of 16" R-19 insulation. Wrap the sides and top of box with insulation, held in place by wrapping duct tape around it all.
WALL INSULATION
There is little you can do to insulate the walls short of ripping them out, attacking from the exterior by removing bricks, or punching holes to pour in perlite or vermiculate. Cellulosic insulation can be blown into the space between the walls but at significant expense which may not be worthwhile when the actual energy saved is computed. However, it would be better than what is there now, practically nothing. Let's move on to windows!
WINDOWS
Here is a chart of heat loss for windows from the calculations cited earlier:
| Steel Casements | Wood Double-hung | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic loss | ||||
| Caulked | ||||
| With storm window | ||||
| Caulked w storm window |
What conclusions are to be drawn? First, casements can be wonderful but not in steel! When steel, they can be made reasonably energy efficient with inside storm windows but at the cost of not being able to open them, assuming that they are not already badly warped or rusted shut.
Second, wood double-hung windows with tight storm windows are reasonably energy-efficient. Replacement windows offer at least as good energy efficiency as the alternatives without the bother of annual caulking, storm window installation or periodic painting. Each year improvements seem to be made to improve the efficiency of new windows. Replacement windows are, however, a major investment averaging $3000 or more, depending on characteristics of the windows and whether you install them or hire a contractor.
Some general considerations when planning to replace windows
are:
In early 1984, the CITIZENS ASSOCIATION conducted an informal survey of Foresters who had replaced standard windows. Twenty residents responded. Seventeen rated their windows at least 8 on a scale of 0-10, 0 awful to 10 excellent. The three who were not satisfied were unhappy because one was having condensation problems and the other two were displeased with the installation of the replacements.
Although this is a limited response for drawing conclusions,
here are some of the particulars:
ACROSEAL Window Corp. was used by three respondents.
WEATHER-CHECK, sold and installed by Bob Kilby, by three.
ALLIED ALUMINUM by three.
ANDERSON WINDOWS by two.
WASHINGTON GAS by two.
US ALUMINUM CORP by two.
The rest, used by one household each and with positive
recommendation were BILT-BEST Windows and US STEEL CORP. Windows.
Prices varied considerably in our survey. We estimate that current replacements would cost between $4,000-6,000 for 13 windows.
Many of the responses were virtual testimonials to the insulation value of the new windows. In particular, people mentioned energy savings, no drafts, easy maintenance, easy opening, and improved value of the house. One resident was particularly happy to have the improved insulation without sacrificing colonial styling which was provide by muntins inserted in the windows. Muntins (wood or plastic) may be clipped in inside the window or installed permanently between the two panes of glass. Another resident noted that fuel oil consumption had decreased by 2/3.
One complaint most frequently given was increased condensation because the house is much more tightly sealed. Damage to sills and paint occurs from the added moisture. However, the condensation was controlled by reducing the setting on the furnace-mounted humidifier.
The second complaint was damage during the installation to walls and window sills if they are retained. The installers use considerable force to remove old casements and the make no attempt to save the glass. So there will be noise and mess.
It has been reported that a couple of homeowners removed metal casements without cutting them out. In fact, one person re-used a window in a new location. Here are some steps to follow.
The first step is to put 3" masking tape all around the glass panes to prevent undue shattering of glass during this procedure.
The next step is to locate the screws that must be removed. In the smaller windows like those in the bedrooms, there are 8 screws. They are located 6" in from each corner of the window, on all four sides of the outer metal frame. You can see the screws when you open the windows. Perhaps years of paint have somewhat concealed them and will need to be removed.
There is a total of 10 screws in the larger windows downstairs. The two additional small brass screws in these windows will be found after chipping out the glazing 6" in each direction from the top corners of the window. In the event that you find a hole where a screw should be, there may be instead a case hardened nail. This will have to be cut from behind with a cold chisel. After all the screws are removed, remove the caulking where the outside window frame abuts the brick to reduce the resistance when you take out the window unit.
Now you are ready to start knocking the window unit out which requires a heavy hammer. Work your way around the perimeter, from top to bottom. When loose enough, the set of windows with frame can be pulled or pushed outside the house.
The sill frame, however, is pulled inside from the inside of the house. There is still plaster damage and you have to remove any wood framing someone may have installed around the windows on the inside. When dislodging upstairs windows, tie rope around each side or end of the metal cross bar and slide the loosened window unit down a ladder to the ground. This will minimize the cleaning up of broken glass.
If you decide not to replace the metal sill unit of the windows at the same time as you replace the windows, you will conserve more heat if you finish off the window units on the inside by covering the remaining metal with wood trim on the four surfaces. Then complete the job by making window frames. This is very attractive and a heat saver as well.
The basement windows also allow considerable heat loss. If no storm windows are available, stretching plastic on the inside is inexpensive and will conserve heat. Stretching plastic can also be unsightly when not reserved to basements.
The best advice of all regarding windows is to visit your neighbors. Everyone loves to share that kind of experience and you can see for yourself.
HEATING
In addition to preventing heat loss, improving temperature efficiency in FOREST homes can be accomplished in several ways.
One of the simplest ways is to install a "set-back thermostat." This allows you to reduce the heat in the house while you are sleeping or away but increase it to a comfortable level in time to wake up or return home. Many such thermostats have multiple set-backs for each day and also for different days of the week. Installation is not difficult; it involves removing four wires from the old thermostat or only two if you do not have central air. Then you attach them to the new unit. They cost under $100.
The furnace itself is an issue. The original standard "Columbia Air" oil burner was very reliable but not much of a fuel oil conserver. Replacement of this oil burner is necessary for any significant savings in energy generation. There are the options of a new oil furnace, replacement of the oil burner, conversion to gas, or conversion to heat pump.
A high-efficiency oil burner is relatively inexpensive in achieving the energy savings desired without a major investment. For a cost of about $400, oil use can be cut by as much as 75%. High efficiency (flame retention) oil burners are actually the most efficient heat generators in terms of turning the potential heat of fuel into actual heat. One disadvantage is that the oil tank is in the basement where space is scarce enough.
Many homes in the FOREST already have gas. Gas is cleanest and still the best regarding cost. Conversions to gas may have taken place before energy prices increased and the replacement gas furnaces may not be particularly efficient. Some more efficient gas burners have recently been developed and can be installed in existing gas furnaces. Also, the latest advance in gas heat is "pulse combustion" which can be even more efficient than the best of oil burners. The whole furnace, however, must be replaced to take advantage of pulse combustion. This is a major investment but to be considered especially if a new addition is being planned. Ask about the noisiness of these furnaces; that has been a complaint.
Also, keep in mind that energy costs must be figured not only by mechanical efficiency but also by the cost of the fuel. If one heating method has the most efficient system, but the cost of the fuel is much more expensive than another fuel, it may be more cost effective to use the cheaper fuel with its less efficient heating system.
Heat pumps are a relatively new idea and not yet widely used as a primary source of heat; they have been used, in small sizes sufficient for a room, to provide zoned heat for additions.
Finally, wood stoves may be used, particularly in additions or "rec room" environments. Wood stoves must be attached to a separate flue pipe. They cannot be tied into existing chimneys. They must clear the nearest point of roof by 2 feet in height and 10 feet on the horizontal to avoid potential down-draft in order to have good draw of air for the fire.
COOLING
The original ARLINGTON FOREST forced-air heating system makes the addition of a central air conditioner a fairly easy proposition, although by no means an inexpensive one. Many of the same installation problems discussed about heating apply to cooling and affect the efficiency of your air conditioning.
As an alternative to, or addition to, air conditioning, recall the option of fans. In the attic, where the temperature can reach 130 degrees, an attic exhaust fan will be very helpful.
A new electrical hook-up will be needed.
Casablanca ceiling fans are more than picturesque — ask any neighbor who has installed one on the porch or especially in the bedrooms and you will find a witness to their effectiveness.
The whole-house fan expands the attic exhaust fan concept by pulling air through the house and exhausting it through the attic. This not only keeps hot air from building up in the attic but also creates a cooling breeze throughout the house when there is cool air to pull through. It is less expensive than air conditioning, usually costing less than $300. When the outside air, however, is about 85 degrees, the air pulled through the house will no longer have a cooling effect, although exhausting attic air will still be beneficial. There can be a sort of "white noise" from the fan but (like planes overhead in some parts of Arlington) after awhile they say you get used to it!
Some whole-house fans require considerable construction effort. A hole must be cut for the louvers in the ceiling of the upstairs hall. Some cutting of an attic floor joist may be necessary and then the construction of a box in the attic for the fan itself. The gable vents will have to be enlarged or additional vents cut into the roof since this type of fan requires a larger exhaust area for exhausting the air. Additional wiring will be needed as well.
Whole-house fans can be easily and effectively winterized by covering with plastic and insulation or some fans can be propped up and the plastic with insulation placed between the fan and the louvers in the ceiling.
A forced-air system operates most efficiently when heated or cooled air is returned to the furnace or air conditioner to be re-treated. In this way, the furnace or air conditioner is not always having to "start over" with outside temperature air.
The two smallest rooms in our homes, the bathroom and the smallest bedroom, do not have return air vents. This means that they will heat or cool more quickly than other rooms, but there are no return air vents to provide circulation. This can cause a build-up of moisture, particularly in the bathroom but also in the bedroom if it is used as a baby's room. Using a warm-air vaporizer in the bedroom with the door closed is tempting an epidemic of peeling ceiling paint. Use a cool air vaporizer.
Consider installing an exhaust fan in the bathroom to cut down on mildew problems. Such a fan could be vented into the attic and to the outside through the louvers or directly from the bathroom to outside, cutting through wall and brick.
The kitchen does not have a cold air return either. This was done on purpose to reduce cooking odors in the system. Most kitchens seem to have a stove exhaust fan vented to the outside which should serve to get rid of moisture along with smells and grease.
When doing major renovation to a FOREST home, remember to discuss with the architect and/or contractor an increase in air return duct work. It could go up the back of the house as changes are made in the rear wall.
ENERGY AUDITS
Both the gas company and the electric company will perform energy audits on your home for a nominal fee. Much of their information will seem self-evident, especially if you have read this section carefully! Often, however, they will have new in- sights and particular details for you and they are also able to calculate the payback periods for different energy projects. Call 359-3009 for Virginia Power and 740-4440 for Washington Gas.
THE VIRGINIA ENERGY BOOK is an informative publication which
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