Quote:
Originally Posted by Weather Spotter
Issues with the home:
A. 7 of 11 windows are original signal pane. the other 4 are 5-15 yr old vinyl
B. ceiling only has R19 fiberglass batts 
C. two year old 80% NG Forced air furnace.
D. Need to get a new washer/ dryer.- should I go gas or electric?
E. Craw space with marginal room to get into.
F. Leaky roof around non flashed chimney (high on the fix it list)
G. old electrical wires but new outlets (non grounded) and new service.
H. Lack of lighting in home- I was thinking of using the attic space to put in Can lights (short ceilings), I was thinking about going with LED's. Any ideas on good ones?
I. Block walls with limited insulation on the outside under aluminum siding.
J. Lack of roof venting |
My suggestions:
1) Make the roof leakproof. Do this first.
2) New grounded wiring. Try to eliminate as much attic wire as possible. One switched light in each room high on the wall above the switch. Use floor lamps for additional lighting. Or do as I did and put track lighting in the kitchen and living room (with CFL bulbs).
3) Pull up attic batts, air seal every crack and hole you can find. Put batts back, then blow in another two feet of insulation on top. I would not trust even an insulation rated can light under that much insulation. If the ceiling is properly air sealed, you should not need roof ventilation. Look up in the attic immediately after a big cold spell. If no visible frost, you should be good. Don't forget to insulate and air seal the attic access hatch.
4) Washer and dryer. The spin speed of the washer controls the moisture content of the clothes, so put some money into a good washer. It's far cheaper to spin water out than to dry it out.
5) If you dig around the outside of the house and put 2 inches of foam insulation against the crawlspace walls, your crawlspace and floor will be warmer.
6) Then, someday, rip off the siding, add 4 inches of foam and modern energy efficient windows in one big expensive project. Until then, put 3M window film on the single pane windows.
7) For crawl space work, look for a small skinny high school kid who wants to make a few bucks.