Reno's to the house

[Higgy]

Hey all,

So I started writing down all the reno's that need to be done to my house last night...and for an 8 year old house...this is ridiculous. Shows how NOT well they built it. Cheapest windows and construction for the most part as far as I'm concerned. But alas, I plan to make it better so here we go. Here are the items I wrote down last night. I put them in order that I think we are going to get them done, but please feel free to suggest a different order if you think it's better:

- HRV system needs to be installed. All we have are bathroom fans which is hooked up to the cold air return.
- Spray foam the outer floor joists in the ceiling of the basement. There is insulation in there, but when they build the house, they put the insulation in the wrong way. They cut out pieces and put it in horizontally instead of vertically or they just rolled a piece up and shoved it in there. So I basically see it as no insulation at all.
- Adding some 2x8 bracing in between the 2x8 joists in the basement ceiling just to increase structure and strength of the main floor.
- Windows and doors need replacing. They put in the cheapest windows and the seals on the windows in both my kids rooms are broken. You can also tell that they didn't seal properly around any of my windows or doors. So I'd like to replace everything with better quality.
- Attic needs another 15-20 R value added to it. It's at 36 I believe so I'd like that increased. Rafter vents also need to be added to almost all of my rafters, as they only put in 12 in when they built it. And my house has rafters on all 4 sides.
- Finish basement. This would be really nice to have done as we'd like to start using our basement more then we do now. This can be done in sections to lessen the impact of the cost. I want to spray foam the outer walls and put 1" rigid foam on the floors for insulation.

So far this is it...which is more likely a 5-10 year set of projects depending on how much everything costs. If you have suggestions on anything like, how you think I should have something done or what kind of windows you think I should be getting, etc, etc... please let me know. Keep in mind that I live in a very wintery area that gets very cold in January/February (we're talking -30 to -35C with a -50C windchill at times) and decently warm in July/August (+25 to +35C).

[Daox]

Looks like a good list.

Have you had a energy analysis done on the house? That might be a good thing to do and it very well might reorder and/or add some things to your list that could be very worth while.

[strider3700]

get the energy analysis done, it's something like $350 and you'll get $300 back in grants after you make changes. It also lets everything you are going to do be worth grants. Windows are worth $50 each if I remember correctly...

Also when you finish the basement add a suspended ceiling don't drywall everything in to the roof. You will want access to them at some point in the future and cutting finished drywall down to insulate or seal ducts sucks.

[Higgy]

HAHA...ya you got that right Strider. I don't get why anyone drywall's their basement ceiling, but I'm going suspended all the way.

When's the best time of year to do the energy audit?

[Piwoslaw]

Originally Posted by Higgy

When's the best time of year to do the energy audit?

Winter is the best time if you want thermal imaging done.

[TimJFowler]

Originally Posted by Higgy

So I started writing down all the reno's that need to be done to my house last night...and for an 8 year old house...this is ridiculous. Shows how NOT well they built it. Cheapest windows and construction for the most part as far as I'm concerned. But alas, I plan to make it better so here we go.

I know the feeling! My house was built in 1971, but the builder's attitude must have been pretty similar. I've been working on similar projects through my house for the past 8 or so years. I have a long list, but I try to only have one project going at a time so the house doesn't feel like a construction zone.

Originally Posted by Higgy

...please feel free to suggest a different order if you think it's better:

- Home Energy Performance Audit (the results of which may put everything in this list in a different order)

- Adding some 2x8 bracing in between the 2x8 joists in the basement ceiling just to increase structure and strength of the main floor.

- Spray foam the outer floor joists in the ceiling of the basement. There is insulation in there, but when they build the house, they put the insulation in the wrong way. They cut out pieces and put it in horizontally instead of vertically or they just rolled a piece up and shoved it in there. So I basically see it as no insulation at all.

- Attic needs another 15-20 R value added to it. It's at 36 I believe so I'd like that increased. Rafter vents also need to be added to almost all of my rafters, as they only put in 12 in when they built it. And my house has rafters on all 4 sides.

- Finish basement. This would be really nice to have done as we'd like to start using our basement more then we do now. This can be done in sections to lessen the impact of the cost. I want to spray foam the outer walls and put 1" rigid foam on the floors for insulation.

- HRV system needs to be installed. All we have are bathroom fans which is hooked up to the cold air return.

- Windows and doors need replacing. They put in the cheapest windows and the seals on the windows in both my kids rooms are broken. You can also tell that they didn't seal properly around any of my windows or doors. So I'd like to replace everything with better quality.


I think that finishing several smaller projects first can help motivate you to complete the bigger projects. Also, any project that makes your home more livable and comfortable should have added priority.

FWIW,
Tim

[Ryland]

To do an energy audit it's works best if the out door temp is different by a fair amount from the indoor temp, warmer or cooler, cooler is nice because you can see and feel the drafts better but either one should work and they are well worth it, areas that I thought were an issue on my house were fine and areas that I never would have looked or thought were ok were some of the worst.

My biggest piece of advice on home projects is to only take on one at a time and to finish each project 100% before moving on to the next one, otherwise you end up with rooms that are ripped appart for 10-15 years or trim that never gets installed.
Trading work with friends is also a good way to get stuff done quickly, cook up some food, buy some beer and make a day of it, then when they need help you get their project done as well.

[TimJFowler]

Another note re: Home Energy Audits.

Check out the Home Energy Saver. This is a DIY home energy audit developed by the Lawrence Berkeley National Labs and DOE. While it isn't a true performance audit (with blower door test, etc.) the online audit can give you a fair assessment of your home's energy use and problem areas. The HES also allows you to compare your home energy use to others in your area.

I ran a DIY audit early this year and wrote about it here - Home Improvement, but Smarter | EcoDaddyo.com

Tim

[Higgy]

Thanks guys. I will definitely get an energy audit done before I do anything. And yes, I wouldn't tackle more then one project at a time. I had a brother in law that use to do that until his house was completely torn apart...for 15 years...I'll just say that he is no longer my brother in law anymore.

[Ryland]

Originally Posted by YukiL33

how long does an energy audit take?

Mine took two hours or so, our house was pretty simple and I've worked in construction and remodeling all my life so my questions tended to be right to the point, but they also sent us an info packet with their notes and photos of problem areas.