Found 19 results for the keyword(s) ‘Attic, Insulation’

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  Vent Stack Ice Capping or Evaporation : I GET SEWER ODOURS INSIDE THE HOUSE OCCASIONALLY IN THE WINTER.

    This is one of those problems that are not dealt with seriously enough by the building officials in really cold regions.  I have opened a blog space at the bottom of this article for you to add in your case history so we can demonstrate that this is a large and continuing problem.  Take a look...
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  OVERVIEW: Changing the roof or roof covering on a house

  As I look at my own database, I see that I have almost 100 answers to specific questions about roofs and roofing.  Despite a good search engine, that much scattered information can get confusing.  Let me make just a couple of overview statements to help guide you in getting your existing or new r...
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  Sealing ductwork in an attic

  Often furnace heating and air conditioning duct work is run though an attic and then back down into the house. Personally I think that this is a really bad idea unless there is absolutely no alternative route. Why? First, most duct work is not sealed where it goes through the ceiling, so a lot o...
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  Noises -- sounds that tell you what is wrong with your house

  Drum Cymbal noises --> Furnace Ducting Gina in Saskatoon is complaining about drum cymbal-like crashes that happen every time her furnace goes on. This is common when you have smooth flat ductwork. The heat and pressure of the air can cause the large flat surface of sheet metal to flex eithe...
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  Overview: Vermiculite, Zonolite, Asbestos and your health

  Note 2014 : As you read below you will find a detailed history of Vermiculite insulation and problems it had starting in 1920.  Just recently I have become aware of houses built around or before 1920, yes 100 year old houses, where it was discovered that there was about 2 inches of Vermiculite u...
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  An alternative to ducting through the attic in a cold climate.

    In my experience, heating ducts that run through attics cause serious problems in snow country. Don't let a contractor talk you into it. In warm climates it is common practice to run heating and air conditioning ducting through attic spaces simply because it is easy to do. Unfortunately this ...
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  Vapour barrier paint -- it does exist -- it does work.

  Kyle from Fort Erie, Ontario, has a vapour barrier question. "We have a house, 80-90 years old, with no insulation in the attic. The house is a 1-1/2 story building with sloped ceilings on the second floor to the outside walls. Our ceilings are plaster. Can we lay insulation in the attic without ...
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  Making an X-Ray of your roof

  When there is morning frost or light snow on a roof, you can learn a lot about a heat losses from the house and how to eliminate ice dams and icicles.    What causes problems  Melting the bottom of a snow pack or melting off all snow at the crown of the roof sends water down under the snow to ...
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  Can I insulate a roof from the outside?

  20 years ago Bob built a geodesic dome in Saskatchewan. As you can see, it was a community effort. After all this time he has finally gotten tired of the snow melting off the roof creating all kinds of ice cycles, so he is asking about the feasibility of putting some Styrofoam right over th...
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  How do you walk safely in an insulated attic?

  Robert from Winnipeg Manitoba asks about the safety of walking around in his attic.First let's be sure not to fall into the room below. If you were to remove all the insulation, you would see the drywall or plaster of the ceiling below, nothing more. It is held in place by the ceiling joists,...