Frosted Edge

For years now I have noticed an interesting phenomenon that I am not sure anyone else notices. It has to do with recognizing roof patterns in the winter. This is clear evidence that heat is escaping through your roof.

Head down the block and check out your roof and compare it to your neighbors place. Of course there are a myriad of issues that could be contributing to the results you find, but this is a telling sign.

If your roof is the bare one when others have snow or frost, despite having a similar pitch, you could be losing a boat load of energy in the form of heat. This year has been ridiculously light on or late for snow, but you can see it on the frosty mornings too.

Thermal imagery is available in the valley, which that can do a more accurate picture for you. There are also companies that specialize in energy efficiency audits. But for now, this crude visual tool may get you moving in the right direction.

Missing Insulation

The fix could be adding insulation or filling a hole. It could be as simple as a detached exhaust vent. The important thing  to understand is that there is no one size fits all approach. You need to figure out what is causing the problem and address each individual situation to fix the overall issue.

Here is another look at what you might see if you look at your roof at just the right time.

From a remodeler’s perspective, this is always on our minds. At Levco, we always take a look at  the attic and make sure that the existing conditions are addressed and that anything we disturb is re-insulated when we are done.

Over the years, we have made many recommendations to homeowners when we’ve seen problems, and remodeling is a good time to have these issues evaluated and addressed.

Disclaimer: Some of these images came from the WEB. If they are yours, and you object to them being used, please claim them and I will gladly remove them at once.

Home Sweet Home

OK you have been in the home for 10 years and you are looking for something to do that will improve your home. You are wondering what would be a good bang for the buck. Or say you have unexplained health issues and you just can’t put a finger on it but you think your home may be the culprit. It is worth thinking about having your duct work checked. Although the EPA thinks it may be an over rated service, there are several instances even they recommend the process be done by a qualified vendor.

Duct cleaning is probably not the first thing that comes to mind in relation to maintaining your home. It seems like every decade or so there is some new newfangled energy saving thing, a better window design or better furnace that will make life better. Besides keeping paint on the place and staying ahead of the stuff that breaks, a good old fashion duct cleaning might be the ticket.

In the old days there was no need for ducts because heat rose through the floor registers and the furnace was a fireplace. Then coal furnaces did a similar thing and the heat rose naturally. Many homes went to radiant heat with boilers, still no need for duct work . Then in the late 19th century oil furnaces were the rage and forced air became the thing and duct work was installed. Later oil furnaces were replaced by natural gas but the forced air systems remained. This made a place for dust to hide along with all sorts of dust mites, mold spores, rodents and lord knows what else. The bad news is that it was out of sight and out of mind. Now we realize that we are building tighter houses and what gets inside stays inside. Indoor air quality as one of the five points of Green Remodeling and the duct cleaning industry was born.

A Duct Cleaning Truck

Provided that you have duct work that routes heating and cooling throughout your structure and it has been there for 10years or more the industry recommends a cleaning. The EPA. On the other hand, who is responsible for Environmental Protection has published a great guide to Duct cleaning. They are pretty skeptical about the industry but like everything, there are those that are unscrupulous that boast of unrealistic health benefits from the process. I believe that if your expectations are realistic then you will be pleasantly surprised. Levco provides the service after a whole house remodeling. The odds are that we have introduced particles into the system no matter how hard we try not to. Take a look yourself through a supply register to see what is there, stick a vacuum down the hole and gather up what you can for starters. This will at least establish whether you need to worry about your ducts in the first place.

Before & After

They come in with a vacuum truck and by drilling a few holes in your duct work and following a strict routine of covering and uncovering registers they manage to suck a ton of debris from your ducts.

Don’t expect the furnace to work much better unless they find a clogged cooling coil, like was the case in my home. They could find a detached duct which does happen. This may have a positive effect upon allergies. It may improve your air circulation, and it will remove all of that pet dander and accumulated dust that no matter how well you clean you just can’t get to. Just the knowledge that your ducts are clean gives you a reassurance that you are living in a cleaner indoor environment. When I need them, System Kleen is the company I use in Boise Idaho.

Old Boiler

Although I have remodeled many homes we haven’t run into too many hydronic heating systems.

By the time we remodel most of the home’s heating systems have been altered several times. My own home started with Coal, then converted to Oil and then to Natural Gas forced air. One of my neighbors refused to change and still uses coal. It is often the first sign of fall to smell the coal burning. Oil furnaces were dirty too and required fuel storage tanks. Some were placed in the ground and others used above ground storage tanks. Most of those systems were converted and eliminated all together because of the convenience of natural gas being piped directly to our homes.

Coal furnaces used duct work and the natural physical properties of heating and cooling to circulate heat. It wasn’t until later that forced air systems were introduced. Most oil systems I see used fans. We have even seen in the ceiling electric grids that would heat up and radiate heat. Fortunately, those I have seen were abandoned long ago. Early in ground radiant heating systems were limited by the available technology at the time and experienced failures, many due to polybutylene pipes.

One recent project had a boiler with on the wall baseboard radiators and they incorporated Radiant Hydronic towel warmers that double as room heaters. They also had a forced air air conditioning system. During the project we realized that there are times when a great heating contractor trumps an inexperienced plumber. Air bubbles entered the system and shut it down temporarily causing a very cold night for my clients.

When the forced air systems arrived it changed everything, homes needed to be balanced. We are still learning how to balance homes and buildings for that matter which causes cold/hot rooms and floors for that matter.

There are those in the Warm Springs area of town that get geothermal water pumped through their homes and heated for free.

Typical floor heating methods

The principal is the same weather your radiant heat comes from in floor or through radiators . A boiler or water heater if you will, heats the water with some form of fuel then it is pumped through pipes to a radiator in the form of water or steam. This allows the heat to be radiated into the home and back to the boiler to be recharged. Manifolds and Pex Pipe are relatively new additions to the mix.

I recall living in an Eichler home in San Rafael California in the 1970′s where the slab was heated with a very simple radiant hydronic heat. Advantages include no drafty spaces and less dust as well as a warm slab on grade construction and relatively inexpensive heat. Radiant heat is considered a Green Technology for the quality of indoor air, resource conservation, and energy efficiency.

Engine Room

There are many cool products out there with pumps and zone control. Takagi and Munchkin are two of the popular boiler systems that are extremely energy efficient. We can even add solar collectors that augment the domestic hot water system. There are even radiators with electric fans that use the same principles of water cooled motor vehicles. When a modern whole house system is installed it looks like a utility room on an aircraft carrier. In ground hydronic systems with Glycol in them are even used to heat driveways in the winter to keep  snow and ice free.

Radiant driveway system

Some down sides include that the boiler system can be a bit noisy as radiators creak and groan with expansion and contraction. They require tinkering and occasional burping, the radiators themselves take up space on walls or floors. They do not provide the instant gratification of a forced air system, and you have circulating glycol fluid in your home. We understand that living with a boiler system is not risk free. If you can deal with these few differences, I believe that the principals are sound and the cost is reasonable. Modern set back thermometers have resolved the frustrations of cold floors in the morning.

The bottom line is that boilers and radiators don’t scare us at Levco, and are a normal part of remodeling in Boise’s North End. There are many ways to optimize any system. If you are considering remodeling there is cause to reflect before you decide to rip it out and start over.

Summer Sun

As the days grow longer and the temperatures gradually rise, we switch modes form heating to cooling in an effort to maintain a comfortable temperature in our homes. Living on the edge on a desert here in Boise Idaho temperatures rise through the day with our high being around 5pm. Unlike the Bay Area where Noon -1pm is the peak and the ocean breeze cools things down by early evening.

This long heating period allows superheated air to build up in your attic. Roof temperatures can reach 190 and attics are often 30-50 degrees warmer that the outside air temperature. Most people notice this when they are upstairs in a home with the thermostat on the first floor and they can’t sleep or are being cooked by the Stack Effect while the first floor is comfortable and the basement is freezing. Heat transfer in buildings is an issue that commonly comes up in discussion and is often misunderstood. Here is my go to source on building science.

I have several simple low impact things to check and try before you determine the best approach for your to solving your hot second floor  situation.

1. Check how much insulation you actually have. Often adding the proper amount will improve the indoor a little bit. In our region R-38 is code, that equals roughly 12″ depending on what type you have and if it is compacted etc. This can be a double edge sword too. Insulation works by slowing the transfer of heat, so if your second story is hot the insulation will keep the heat in your home too.
2. Next, on your thermostat there is usually a fan on or auto switch. Put it on the ON mode and you will notice a evening of the temperatures throughout your home. The reasons this works is that the thermostat is only sampling the temperature where it is, and the fan in the AUTO position is only on when the thermostat is not satisfied.
3. I refer to dueling appliances. The oven is cooking at 450 deg. and the AC is working to keep the home at 70 deg. or the doors and windows are being left open on a scorching day and to no ones surprise the air conditioner just cant keep up.
4. Circulating air feels cooler. Having your ceiling fans turning the right way for the season. Usually counter clockwise (blowing down) in the summer and clockwise in the winter (sucking up).

HVAC Issues: Balancing your home may not have been done properly by your HVAC contractor when it was built and or remodeled. On occasion an additional return air is needed up high. I should be noted the the Air Conditioner needs a rest at night too for defrosting, turning them up into the 80′s during the sleep mode will allow this to happen. Always check your air filters, they need to be able to breath. Regular check ups will ensure peak performance for many years and reduce annoying breakdowns.

Roof Ventilation Issues: Adequate roof venting will allow heat to escape passively. I often see power vents added to keep closer to outside air temperature. Extra roof venting will improve the attic breathing, but who wants more roof penetrations. Clogged soffit vents can be a culprit. I see them painted or covered in spider webs and inside disturbed insulation can cover them. These things may seem like tiny details but you must remember they are all interdependent.

Whole House Fan

Whole House Fans: When these things aren’t working well enough and you want a simple fix for the problem a Whole House Fan may be the answer. Whole House Fan are common the the mid west and south and they are starting to making an appearance here in Idaho. Unlike the attic fan that many of our homes were equipped with that come on  thermostatically and suck air in through gable and soffit vents, the whole house fan works in climates where the evenings or mornings are cool. The idea is to place a fan in the upstairs ceiling and opening windows on the lower levels. Once activated (optional) insulated doors open and the fan sucks air in from the outside from open screened windows or a door and pushes it into the attic essentially flushing out the super heated air via gable and roof vents. Once your home is filled with fresh air and cooled the fan is shut off and the home is closed up again for the day. Incidentally it will help prolong the life of your roof by keeping the shingles cooler.

Levco has installed several different types and have a unanimous fantastic response. The units range from $500-$1000 and require an outlet or are hardwired into the attic. Whole House Fans can take as little as a day to install. So when remodeling in Boise Idaho, consider adding this product as a stand alone project or in addition to a larger project.

Whether yours is an early 1900′s vintage with relatively little insulation, or a newer one that is well insulated, there are lots of ways to spend your money to improve energy efficiency. Whole House Fans are an inexpensive new tool that can actually save money in the long run, but also improve comfort as well as indoor air quality immediately.

2009 IRC

As of January 1st 2011 Boise City along with all of the other jurisdictions that adopt building codes, followed the states lead and adopted parts of the 2009 IRC international Residential Building Code. The last code was the 2006 IRC which was implemented in the same year. Plumbers use their own code 2003 UPC and electricians use their own code 2008 UEC, there are fire codes, mechanical codes, and energy codes to navigate as well. Thankfully the inspectors in this city are fantastic. As long as it is clear that they are not the enemy, they do a great job of mentoring. Why they all don’t use the same one is a bit of a mystery to me, that is another story.

Us remodelers got spared most of the changes the new construction companies are subjected to, many of which involve mechanical things like ducting and proper sizing oh HVAC systems. In fact the HVAC contractors were pretty worried about all of the things they have to be responsible for. It includes blower door testing for new homes. Seems the government wants us to have much more energy efficient homes. You can read all of the updates here or see the Boise City website for updated documents and requirements.

Areas that effect Levco include framing upgrades and lots about trusses. Including Carbon Monoxide detectors outside of bedrooms along with smoke detectors. Thankfully there are some good dual acting units on the market now. All in all I am seeing some strong progress in the insulation division as well as mandating energy efficiency as well as eliminating heat loss through shabby workmanship.

Boise City also requires us to install egress size windows when possible whenever changing out windows in bedrooms. This includes above ground applications.

Oldies but goodies

As far as plumbing is concerned I discovered something that bares a mention. I was under the mistaken belief that toilets that are the old high water 3GPF (Gallons Per Flush) usage were outlawed. “RONG” sort of. They are outlawed to be manufactured so they are essentially no longer available. This means you can’t install them in new residents… If you pull one out however, and relocate it or want to reinstall it… you are allowed to reuse it. The question that comes to mind is why you would want to n light of the water savings provided by the newer technology.

The truth is the the 1.6 GPF ones are working fantastically now and they are perfecting even more water conscious ones that work well. Initially they had problems clearing the tank and there was concern that there was not enough water flowing to keep material headed towards the sewage treatment plants. Turns out that was a myth. I just saw a .8 GPF toilet for sale at the supply house. Don’t forget the dual flushers, we just installed some that use .8 GPF for liquids and 1.6 GPF for solids and the report is that they can handle the business.

Special thanks to Perry E Paine for helping with this post

Plans Examiner II
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cool breeze

Here are a few things that will help make sense of your home’s cooling system. At Levco, when remodeling, we always evaluate the HVAC systems. We usually find something that could be done better or tuned up. Let’s face it HVAC is a system at the house that usually requires little maintenance and either works or it doesn’t.

Whether you have an evaporative cooling device (Swamp Cooler), heat pump, ceiling fans, or air conditioning units all of these principals apply.

Circulating air feels cooler to us. Just like when our own bodies sweat and water evaporates, we feel cooler.

Heat rises, the higher you are up in a home the hotter it will be. The Stack Effect is at play here. Even if you have one or all of these systems and choose not to use them, opening your home during the night and closing it in the day will help.

Our attics trap heat and provide a hot cap. Black roofs absorb more heat than white or lighter colored roofs which reflect more heat. Insulated or not that hot cap does not help the “hot home” situation because insulation helps to slow the transfer of heat in both directions.

Swamp Cooler

Swamp Coolers:

Swamp coolers work by having water run down media and then having air sucked passed it and essentially evaporating and forcefully blowing it on you. If any of the components fail it is worse than having no device because it is blowing hot air in your home. Replace filter media. Make sure it goes to the edges of the louvered panels (air that sneaks around will defeat the purpose.) Clean it out and ensure the float level and the pump are working properly. A clogged line will allow a pad to stay dry and defeat the purpose. Once operational ensure all the pads are wet. You must have an open window to allow the device to exhaust as much air as it is pumping in so it work properly. These devices work in dry climates like Boise, Idaho which is usually dry (except for this year) and take a little experience and tinkering to work well.

Air conditioning compressor

Air Conditioners / Heat Pumps:

They work by the principals of fluids being switched back and forth into gas. Air must be moving to allow the heat generated by this process to get out. Clogged outdoor compressors are a big deal and simple to fix. Washing out the fins with a gentle stream of water will take care of it. ( ask for help with this one, water and electricity do not go well together). Not allowing bushes or debris from gathering on the fins is the key. Internally there is also a finned system in your duct work that can become clogged, especially if air filters are allowed to clog or are left out for any length of time. I recall a visual I had of inside my own duct work at the internal air conditioning fins. They were caked with a layer of lint that were preventing the system from working correctly. This is when a duct cleaning is in order.

Ceiling fan

Ceiling Fans:

During the summer it feels better to have the air flow directly down on you. This is usually a counter clockwise direction. There is often a switch on the side of the fan that you can flip to have it turn in the clockwise direction ( for winter operation)

The bottom line is that there is no unit that can cool your home enough to compete with negligence and constant leaving doors and windows open during the heat of the day. Another problem is “dueling appliances” Oven at 450 degrees and Air Conditioning trying to reach 70. That’s why it’s barbeque season at our place on hot days.

Indoor air quality is one of the four pillars of our green philosophy. Besides working with products that don’t off gas things like formaldehyde, filters are high on the list of things we have control over that keeps our indoor air quality in good shape.

Dirty 1" filter

Residential air filters are graded on a MERV Scale (Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value) to determine how much the filter media will let pass through. Filters that pull dust and particles from the air are measured in .3 microns to 10 microns. For perspective a human hair is 100 microns. The MERV scale goes from 1-16 with 16 being the highest. A typical residential filter is between 1-4 MERV but superior ones are in the 8-12 range. The one I use is a MERV 8 and is 4″ a pleated paper like media filter. There are other rating systems out there for filtration, but this ones seems easiest to understand and generally acceptable universally.

The thickness of the filter allows for more surface area of filtering media. The 1″ flat MERV 2 will only pull big chunks of dust from the home and where the 4″ MERV 8 will pull dust mites and spores and fine powders like pudding dust.

HEPA filters are designed to remove 97.97% of particles at .3 microns. This would be equivalent to a MERV 20. They filter in a unique way and work quite well. In fact many home vacuums now come equipped with HEPA filtration. Truly a good way to go.

4" MERV 8

How you use your filter makes a difference too, I leave my fan on year round so in my experience switching filters on a 6 month schedule is perfect. You will want to do filter changes more frequently depending on the way your filters fill up.

Regardless of when you change the filters and how often, having a milestone to schedule filter changes will keep your overall furnace / AC system working properly. Mine is when we switch from Heat to Air conditioning.

We are at the end of April here in Boise Idaho, I often say we are at the edge of the desert but this year we might as well be at the edge of a rain forest. I saw a big show of plum and pear blossoms, and the days have gotten longer, spring has not produced the transition into the cooling season here in Boise Idaho.

Thermal Imagery

As a remodeler I am frequently asked about this problem and often get to troubleshoot the situation prior to calling in the big guns. Here are a few of the tips I have found to solve the problem. Turns out this situation is fairly common even in newer homes. In Boise Idaho we live on the edge of a desert and have some unique climatic conditions to consider. This describes a typical home with one zone. Larger homes with multiple system and controllers require a professional.  I have a multi pronged approach to solving these problems in single system homes.

Look at the filters, they can cause reduced air flow and are often neglected. In my experience a 1″ filter should be changed out monthly if the fan is on, or every three months if not.  A 4″ filter often lasts up to 6 mos. even with the fan blower on all the time.

Next, there are numerous problems that can be caused by clogged coils in an Air Conditioning unit especially if a humidifier is incorporated in your system. Don’t be afraid to get a second opinion from a  HVAC contractor. Consider a duct cleaning too, there are several truck mounted duct cleaning companies that do a fine job in our area.

Next you must realize that heat and cold have currents and that layering out occurs when air is stagnant. Rooms need a supply and a return to allow the currents to flow. A closed room with a supply only will never get the required flow and therefore be isolated from the home. Sometimes these situations can be solved with a vent through the wall up high in the room to a common area that has a return “like a hall.”  If there is a supply and a return in the room, we occasionally discover that just because you see a grill does not mean the duct is connected properly. Occasionally an additional supply is needed but only after the return air problem is proven to be working. I have also seen homes that have had multiple remodels and additions or switching from radiant to forced air that have not had the job done all the way.

Stack Effect

On a whole house scale “The basement is cold and the upstairs is hot” problem comes up often. This one is often approached in a similar way, remembering that adding insulation and improving the R-value of windows are the two major offenders that can be addressed separately.

Turning the fan to the ON position on your thermostat often corrects the layering effect by continuously moving the air and will even out the rooms. Sometimes none of this works and you will need to contact a professional that is familiar with balancing your home.

The corollary to the “I have a cold room in the summer” is often caused by the same problems in reverse called “Stack Effect” This is a link to the best article I have seen on the subject. We will talk about whole house fans in a follow up article.