2. Auxiliary air circulation
As homes get larger and become better sealed against the environment,
air circulation becomes an increasing problem. Air circulation helps
to maintain constant temperature and humidity throughout your home. And
it also helps to minimize the potential for mould, rot, and mildew. In
winter, air circulation helps prevent condensation on windows.
If you live in an area where serious heating is a necessity, air circulating
systems as well as air conditioning (cooling) are often directly associated
with the furnace. In these homes, the furnace fan may run continuously.
In addition, most homes will benefit from ceiling fans, which are inexpensive,
attractive, and very effective at moving the air in your home.
Fully sealed homes, which in the past were sometimes referred to as R2000
homes, also have a continuously running air exchanger. To be effective,
most air exchangers require monthly service. Be sure to include this
in your list of house maintenance duties. When your air exchanger is
first set up, ensure that the technician sets the system for a slightly
positive house pressure. This minimizes dust being drawn into your house
and will also minimize back drawing smoke or creosote odours into your
home, if you have a fireplace.
If the heating/cooling ducts in your home are excessively long runs,
be sure that the blower system is adequate. While auxiliary blowers in
some of the ducts in your home may be beneficial, these introduce maintenance
issues and additional noise and it is preferable to avoid them, if at
all possible. However, if you must have these installed in your home,
make sure that they are easily accessible and high quality systems.
If you have a damp basement, you may try using one or more auxiliary
dehumidifiers. These units have a fan, a condensation coil, and either
a drain hose or a water collection tank.
Attic air circulation is very important to avoid excessive heating in
the summer and minimal moisture build-up. Several simple roof vents or
possibly power vents are something that you should explore with your
builder.
Tips
Keep your air exchanger unit operational and in good repair. Lubricate
all motors and keep all filters clean. Sometimes this servicing is included
with the furnace maintenance contract.
If your home is equipped with central heating and central air conditioning,
you may consider keeping your furnace blower fan operational at all times
(mine never stops). You can ask the contractor to wire the motor so that
it runs continuously but speeds up for cooling.
Consider using a premium air filtration system as part of your furnace
air circulation. Be sure to clean or replace the filter media at recommended
intervals.
Be sure to have a furnace maintenance contract.
If you have auxiliary blowers in some ducts, be sure to include them
in your maintenance contract, or service them yourself regularly.
Some useful links to check out
Department of Environmental Protection
http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/deptmpl.asp?url=/content/dep/aq/bio.asp
Air Circulators...The Cure For Homes With Sluggish Circulation
http://www.b4-u-buy.com/01h35464.htm
Lennox Aircleaners
http://www.golennox.com/catalog/aprilaire_air_cleaners_304834_products.htm
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3. Skylights in cold climates (beware)
Skylights can be a very attractive addition to your home. They come in
all shapes and sizes and have been installed in homes in all types of
climates. This article will primarily discuss skylights in cold climates,
however first we will briefly review some of the advantages of skylights.
Skylights add light and brighten up otherwise dark and dreary rooms,
or hallways and can make your house very cheery and bright. If you are
considering a skylight, there are a number of factors to take into account.
Location is important especially if you are trying maximize the amount
of light that comes in, heating or cooling effects in winter, aesthetic
impacts, construction changes to your roof and the and overall light
improvement in the home.
This article will focus on skylights in cold climates and two of the
difficulties a homeowner can have with skylights. Skylights will leak
or cause water damage from at least two main sources and both can be
avoided with proper maintenance and care. We are assuming that the skylight
has been properly installed.
Many skylights appear to be leaking when the actual cause is condensation
on the inside of the glass or plastic window. During the winter on very
cold days, frost may form on the inside of the glass. This can be caused
by high humidity in the home and cold weather. As the sun warms the roof
during the day and in particular the frost on the skylight window, the
frost will thaw and run down the sides of the walls inside the well of
the skylight. Over time this can cause discolouration and even damage
to the walls and even the floor below if there is very high humidity
in the home. A simple solution is to control the humidity level In the
home, remembering that you need to ensure that there is a minimum level
in the home to prevent dry skin, furniture drying out and general discomfort
from dry air. By doing this you can reduce the amount of condensation
on the glass.
A more serious concern is the build up of ice on the roof or better known
as “ice dams”. An ice dams can be formed on a roof below
a skylight when snow builds up, on or around the skylight. Since the
skylight has a lower insulation factor that the surrounding roof, snow
on the skylight can be melted from the heat transfer through the glass
and/or the sun. As the snow melts, the water will begin to flow down
the skylight onto the colder roof, at which point it freezes due to the
colder temperature of the roof. If sufficient ice builds up, and ice
dam has formed and prevents the dissipation of the water causing it to
seek other paths as it follows gravity. Water can back up under shingles
and into the attic causing a great deal of unseen damage in the attic
before it is finally exposed in the lived in portion of the home. If
a spring thaw occurs, the homeowner can experience significant leakage
into the home caused by the ice dam and the subsequent damage.
The solution can be relatively simple. Constant vigilance and removal
of any snow build up on or just below the skylight will usually prevent
ice dams and the subsequent leakage. Homeowners who do not want to get
up on a slippery roof can purchase a “roof rake” attached
to a long flexible pole and rake the snow off the roof while remaining
at ground level. A few minutes work may eliminate significant damage
and inconvenience from a serious roof leak.
Some useful links to check out
Install Skylights or Light Pipes
http://oikos.com/library/eem/skylights/
How To Repair a Leaking Skylight
http://www.ehow.com/how_115867_repair-leaking-skylight.html
Ice Dams
http://www.noteco.com/rolls/icedams.htm
4. Thought For The Day
Men do less than they ought, unless they
do all that they can. – Thomas Carlyle.
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