More insulation or more BTU's? - Page 3

stefanc · 11-13-11, 08:38 AM

The slider is our only access out to the back yard so I can't go too crazy blocking it with plastic but I could do one side I guess. The 3 season room won't be used but it is insulated to a degree. I don't feel much cold through the slider to be honest.

Xringer · 11-13-11, 09:45 AM

I'll bet you that sliding door has an R-factor of about 3, at the most..
Since it's big, that adds up to a lot of heat loss.

I'm pretty sure I can add film to my slider, without effecting it's operation.
The reasons I don't want to put in on the right side, is the handle is there.
And, I'll be grabbing the plastic every time I reach for the handle..

The other reason is the view will be affected by the plastic..

Might be a good Sunday DIY project..

stefanc · 11-13-11, 06:55 PM

I'm sure it is losing a bit of heat. the plastic would probably get knocked off by the weather stripping everytime it opens. I could put it on the outside since it wont be exposed to weather.

Picked up a woodstove today! It's a Fireview soapstone stove and I should be able to use it as primary heat and only use 3-4 cords of wood per year because of its efficiency.

Xringer · 11-13-11, 07:36 PM

Nice!! I used to burn some solid fuel, before I got old and lazy.. (or lazier).

I think taping down some film to the outside of your slider is a good idea.
I looked at the outside of mine today. And I'm thinking that might be a lot easier to work on.

I've got some of the clearer plastic still left on the rolls, so maybe I'll
just try hanging some on the outside. See if it can handle the snow & ice..
It would be a good durability test of the product.

Heck, if I put some on the inside and the outside, I would end up with three layers of air insulation!!

Right now, I'm about out of tape.. I like the 'Frost King 2" x 100' Clear Plastic Seal Tape' from Lowes. I use it sparingly, since it's $8 a roll..
It's good stuff, sticks pretty well in low temperatures.
Very thick, heavy duty tape.

sparkchaser · 11-14-11, 07:08 PM

Sounds like a perfect application for multi-splits! And if you need a new roof sometime add foam board insulation with foil both sides under new roofing. Otherwise, perhaps add a little more blow in insulation in the attic. Also do the diy blower-door test using all exhaust fans in the house, and check for air leaks with a wet had or smoke stick.

Daox · 11-14-11, 07:41 PM

Gary at builditsolar has a good solution if you don't need to be able to see out your sliding door...

Insulating a Sliding Glass Door

S-F · 11-14-11, 08:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Xringer

I'll bet you that sliding door has an R-factor of about 3, at the most..

I would wager all I own that the R value is less than 1 or even .5 when air leakage is considered. Most are usually closer to 0. An R value of 3 is pretty good for a window.

Xringer · 11-14-11, 09:28 PM

The Efficient Windows Collaborative: Resources

Yeah, replacement windows around here have a 0.30 U-Factor these days..
1 / 0.30 = R-factor of 3.33

I figure the best sliding glass door might be near an R3..

I'll bet 60 to 80% of the heating cost in the fancy new houses around here,
comes from their thousands of sq feet of windows..

stefanc · 01-01-12, 08:32 AM

So far I have the woodstove installed and a few of the indoor screens finished. The woodstove alone is saving me ~40kwh/day when the outdoor temp is below 30!

Although the stove heats the whole house pretty well, we need to close doors on the second floor at night sometimes because of the kids, so the resistance heat ends up coming on. I really need to get the indoor storms finished up there to help hold the heat in.

I'll update with pictures and some data soon.

stefanc · 01-01-12, 08:34 AM

Another thing I noticed when installing the woodstove- There's no insulation (spray-foam or loose fill) behind the window trim between the rough framing and window. That's definitely going to be addressed very soon also.

11-13-11, 09:45 AM	#22
Xringer Lex Parsimoniae Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Woburn, MA Posts: 4,918 Thanks: 114 Thanked 250 Times in 230 Posts	I'll bet you that sliding door has an R-factor of about 3, at the most.. Since it's big, that adds up to a lot of heat loss. I'm pretty sure I can add film to my slider, without effecting it's operation. The reasons I don't want to put in on the right side, is the handle is there. And, I'll be grabbing the plastic every time I reach for the handle.. The other reason is the view will be affected by the plastic.. Might be a good Sunday DIY project.. __________________ My hobby is installing & trying to repair mini-splits EPA 608 Type 1 Technician Certification ~ 5 lbs or less..

11-13-11, 07:36 PM	#24
Xringer Lex Parsimoniae Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Woburn, MA Posts: 4,918 Thanks: 114 Thanked 250 Times in 230 Posts	Quad Pane? Nice!! I used to burn some solid fuel, before I got old and lazy.. (or lazier). I think taping down some film to the outside of your slider is a good idea. I looked at the outside of mine today. And I'm thinking that might be a lot easier to work on. I've got some of the clearer plastic still left on the rolls, so maybe I'll just try hanging some on the outside. See if it can handle the snow & ice.. It would be a good durability test of the product. Heck, if I put some on the inside and the outside, I would end up with three layers of air insulation!! Right now, I'm about out of tape.. I like the 'Frost King 2" x 100' Clear Plastic Seal Tape' from Lowes. I use it sparingly, since it's $8 a roll.. It's good stuff, sticks pretty well in low temperatures. Very thick, heavy duty tape. __________________ My hobby is installing & trying to repair mini-splits EPA 608 Type 1 Technician Certification ~ 5 lbs or less..

11-14-11, 07:41 PM	#26
Daox Administrator Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Germantown, WI Posts: 5,525 Thanks: 1,162 Thanked 374 Times in 305 Posts	Gary at builditsolar has a good solution if you don't need to be able to see out your sliding door... Insulating a Sliding Glass Door __________________ Current project - To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. & To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

11-14-11, 09:28 PM	#28
Xringer Lex Parsimoniae Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Woburn, MA Posts: 4,918 Thanks: 114 Thanked 250 Times in 230 Posts	The Efficient Windows Collaborative: Resources Yeah, replacement windows around here have a 0.30 U-Factor these days.. 1 / 0.30 = R-factor of 3.33 I figure the best sliding glass door might be near an R3.. I'll bet 60 to 80% of the heating cost in the fancy new houses around here, comes from their thousands of sq feet of windows.. __________________ My hobby is installing & trying to repair mini-splits EPA 608 Type 1 Technician Certification ~ 5 lbs or less..

11-13-11, 08:38 AM	#21
stefanc Helper EcoRenovator Join Date: Sep 2010 Posts: 33 Thanks: 9 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	The slider is our only access out to the back yard so I can't go too crazy blocking it with plastic but I could do one side I guess. The 3 season room won't be used but it is insulated to a degree. I don't feel much cold through the slider to be honest.

11-13-11, 06:55 PM	#23
stefanc Helper EcoRenovator Join Date: Sep 2010 Posts: 33 Thanks: 9 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	I'm sure it is losing a bit of heat. the plastic would probably get knocked off by the weather stripping everytime it opens. I could put it on the outside since it wont be exposed to weather. Picked up a woodstove today! It's a Fireview soapstone stove and I should be able to use it as primary heat and only use 3-4 cords of wood per year because of its efficiency.

11-14-11, 07:08 PM	#25
sparkchaser Jack of all trades Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Washington Posts: 27 Thanks: 3 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	Sounds like a perfect application for multi-splits! And if you need a new roof sometime add foam board insulation with foil both sides under new roofing. Otherwise, perhaps add a little more blow in insulation in the attic. Also do the diy blower-door test using all exhaust fans in the house, and check for air leaks with a wet had or smoke stick.

01-01-12, 08:32 AM	#29
stefanc Helper EcoRenovator Join Date: Sep 2010 Posts: 33 Thanks: 9 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	So far I have the woodstove installed and a few of the indoor screens finished. The woodstove alone is saving me ~40kwh/day when the outdoor temp is below 30! Although the stove heats the whole house pretty well, we need to close doors on the second floor at night sometimes because of the kids, so the resistance heat ends up coming on. I really need to get the indoor storms finished up there to help hold the heat in. I'll update with pictures and some data soon.

01-01-12, 08:34 AM	#30
stefanc Helper EcoRenovator Join Date: Sep 2010 Posts: 33 Thanks: 9 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	Another thing I noticed when installing the woodstove- There's no insulation (spray-foam or loose fill) behind the window trim between the rough framing and window. That's definitely going to be addressed very soon also.