Fiberglass windows would be a great option for energy efficency. We sell the Infinity by Marvin windows which are amazing!
Installing ductless system is the best way to cool down a hot room. An HVAC system is mainly designed for providing and maintaining thermal comfort and maintaining indoor air quality. Refer to ductless AC installation NJ professionals to help you choose the best equipment to make your home a comfortable place to live in.
Windows and doors are the largest culprit in lost of energy efficiency. It may not be the cheapest option but will provide you with the largest impact.
Use plumbing soder that comes in a roll. Break off a piece and put in the hole then put the screw back in.
In MN. we have the same 3 day right to rescind. This is standardized form (written legibally) in type 10 bold letter type. My understanding, it is required to be given to the client if contract you sign is in the homeowners residense. Not if the contract is signed in the our company's office. We give it to our clients either way. The 1st day starts the day after you sign and is counted daily except for weekends and holidays.
The real issue is... if you are having 2nd thoughts about being in contract with a particular contractor. I am thinking that I as a contractor, I would certainly need to know the issues, even if after "3 days right to rescind" has passed. I typically don't order product for any project until the time period has passed. If you want to get out of your contractoral obligations, there should not be any financial obligations from your part if contract is legally rescinded according to the form and in an appropriate time period. If after there may be some fees as your contractor may have spent time to proceed with your material and scheduling process for your project.
Hope this helps.
Step one, if you have siding use a insulated vinyl siding with silica gel. Replace your windows with a double or triple insulated window system. And third your doors are very important. When you do replacement anything you want the doors and windows to fit the space perfectly. We can do these things and more at Jarrett Industries.
The answer to this question is directly related to the climate that you live in. The major window manufacturers offer glazing that is designed for the solar heat gain and temperatures in the various climate zones. You can obtain information either through a reputable window company in your area or by visting the websites of national window companies such as Anderson, Pella, Milguard, etc.
Let's hear it for Elon Musk and his efforts to move the solar industry forward! Solar shingles have lots of potential. Hopefully, Tesla and Solar City will get it right. We used solar shingles about 15 years ago when installing a new roof and encountered some issues: 1) They were expensive! I would recommend getting a quote for both traditional PV panels versus the shingles and see what pencils out. The cost of PV has come down significantly in the last couple of years. Once you get the quote, be sure and compare the cost/efficiency/performance ratios of the two systems. 2) Maintenance can be an issue. There are more electrical connections with a roof shingle system vs a traditional PV system. More things to create potential problems. The shingles are typically installed in "strings" - where mulitple shingles work together in units. If one shingle has a problem, the entire string "goes down". Check to see how Solar City addressses this issue: can you easily identify where the bad shingle is and be able to replace it easily? Otherwise the efficiency of your system is compromised significantly. Another maintenance issue is keeping all the shingles clean. There is more work to wash down an entire roof periodically to remove dirt buildup than there is for a traditional PV system. 3) Availability: Is Tesla/Solar City providing the units in Atlanta? It may take them some time to gear up their distribution and train people to install them properly. Both important things to consider.
All that being said, it certainly makes sense to have your roof generate power for you! Regardless of whether you go the traditional PV system or shingles route. Best of luck!
The best thing you could do for your home to keep the warm in and the cold out is to 1st. check your insulation in your attic if your not properly insulated the heat will escape. Another is making sure your windows are secured and latched. and proper weather seal is on your doors so draft cannot come in.
Christofer, There is a lot written about your particular condition. What I would do would be to install a spray polyurethane insulation (closed cell insulation) into the attic ceiling and down to and including the eaves. this installed over a 1/4" plywood that would be "cleated" down at a minimum of 1" below the bottom of the roof sheathing, thus eliminating the "hot roof" situation. As far as moisture... if you understand that warm air rises and carries the moisture up (another reason i would use a closed cell product) then it makes sense to foam any walls or kneewalls as well. The venting on the top side would not be to eliminate any interior moisture, but to make your shingles last longer (keep them from overheating). Quite a few asphalt companies have disclaimers on warrantees because of this issue. You would need to check with your steel roof manufacturer how they respond to a hot roof application.
Ok so you don't really want all that moisture collecting on your windows and or finished wall substrates in the attic. So an ERV/HRV or even the furnace fan run continuously would help distrubute or evacute the excess moisture if this is your main house furnace (air handler). FYI- change filters monthly in these systems to help mitigate possible mold issues. I recommend the 6" combustion air (bringing in dry outside air) code required in IRC. I am not sure if this furnace unit in your attic is the primary furnace (air handler) for the home. If so that would help distribute attic moisture to the lower parts of the home. If separate attic unit only, I'm not thinking it will ever distribute moist warm air to the lower level like you suggest.
Remember this... once you start changing the function of your home's ventilation/conditioned or unconditioning of a space you will be changing the whole dynamics of how the house used to function. Henceforth do your homework. All this said...I run my company business in the extreme temperature zone of Minnesota. Your local heating guys should have a better handle on providing a safe living environment for your family. Mold can be a serious issue.
Hello Geoff,
In fear of giving you information that is obvious or that you already know, we move forward boldly and answer this question. I had a similar addition on a previous home and it was difficult to keep it cooler in the summer months. What ended up proving helpful was to put a small box fan on the floor outside of the room to draw the home's air conditioning into that space. That teamed with controlling the sunlight with window treatments proved effective. Thanks Geoff!
There are severl things to consider first: 1) Was the proper double-paned, Low-E windows made for such a location installed? 2) Is the room properly insulated? 3) Does the existing HVAC unit have the capacity to cool the addition? If all these are yes's then you want to look at an auxillary coolling option. Simply cutting holes in the wall and adding an air-excahning fan may offer some relief, but if your system is being over taxed to cool this oven you will only have limited results. Having not seen the room I can't offer specific suggestions, but the whole project definitely needs to evaluated for the three things mentioned above.
Lastly, our clients facing simlar situations where a room was added, or porch was enclosed without thought of the above found relief with ductless split AC systems. They are very effitcient, quiet, and serve as an auxillary system moderating the extremes. This also gave them the option of closing their "sunrooms" off from teh rest of the house while continuing to keep them comfortable.
Hello Geoff,
If you are currently using a AC system I would suggest maybe looking into a few different options.
1)Try keeping some blinds closed during the hottest periods of the day (also helps from discolouring your furniture or flooring)
2) Circulating the air with multiple fans - also checking to see if the room is well insulated might prove to be beneficial.
3) check to see if your windows are sealed properly- are there cracks in the frame, do you seep gaps or see outside from the sides of the window etc.
4) If your home is a bit older it might be wise to have your windows checked. (what kind of glass are in your windows are they vinyl etc.)
Changing your homes windows can decrease your energy bill significantly and will help keep the "cool" in during the hotter months and "warmth" in on the cooler months.
Hope this helps!
Based on the information found via the internet, I believe the difference in siding materials depends a lot on where you live and what kind of climate you experience year round for your location. I'm including a link here that shows what one inventive father did with his children to promote education in understanding their climate of California. It's a very good way of finding out the semantics of a product while spending quality time bonding with your children. Best of all, he's done the difficult work of figuring out which materials stand up to severe climate changes for you!
http://www.3ghomeimprovements.com/2017/06/james-hardie-fiber-cement-vs-lp-smartside-vs-insulated-vinyl-siding/