Winterizing a big old house?

[cchapman84]

Been a long time since I've been on here, but I could really use some collective wisdom.

I'm currently living in a big old Victorian house (circa 1895-ish). It's around 2200 square feet.

This is going to be my last winter here, and I want to figure out how to a) heat it more efficiently and b) make it more comfortable in the winter. Last year I was spending well over $400/month on heating oil and still freezing (I kept the thermostat on 58º, and sometimes turned it even lower, and then sat at my desk in front of a space heater, which in turn gave me toasted skin syndrome all down my leg, which I'd rather not repeat this year).

So I need to do some serious winterizing. But there's one really big catch: since this is my last winter here, I'm not willing to do any upgrades that will not pay off this year.

What I'm thinking at this point is basically closing off half the house and just living in the other half (which has the living room, kitchen, my bedroom, one other bedroom, and bathroom, on two floors). That means I need to find the most efficient way to close off and insulate the other half of the house (two bedrooms upstairs, and a connected formal living/dining room downstairs). I was thinking second-hand comforters for in front of the doors could work for this?

I'll be getting my furnace cleaned and serviced, obviously. I think I'm going to have a bigger nozzle installed, too (it's an oil burner, and I found out last year that it's horribly undersized for this size house, something like 40k BTUs when I should have a furnace at least 3x that size). I've considered getting one of those vent-free propane heaters, but I'm not sure if the efficiency improvement would be enough to offset the cost. I found a refurbished 30k BTU unit for $140 (plus whatever installation would cost).

I know plastic on the windows is going to help, as will insulated curtains. Luckily the section of the house I want to keep open is the south-west side, so passive solar actually helps out a lot.

What else can I do? I'd love to be able to keep the house at closer to 65-68º this winter, at least during the day. Any ideas are greatly appreciated!

[frogmammy]

Don't heat either of the two bedrooms you want to use, keep those doors shut and just pile on the blankets when you go to bed. Don't heat the bathroom either, only when you are going to take a bath.

Mon

[cchapman84]

Originally Posted by frogmammy

Don't heat either of the two bedrooms you want to use, keep those doors shut and just pile on the blankets when you go to bed. Don't heat the bathroom either, only when you are going to take a bath.

Mon

Good ideas. I usually keep the heater vent closed in both bedrooms (I may even close off one of them completely) and just use the vent that goes from the living room into the bedroom to let a little warm air into the room. I prefer to sleep in roughly 50º temps anyway.

The bathroom has no heating vent in it (just an electric space heater that gets turned on when I'm in there), but I can't close it off completely or I risk the pipes freezing (it rarely gets above freezing here in the winter, from the end of December through the beginning of March or so, and the bathroom is on the north side of the house).

[empofuniv]

Closing off those door ways w quilts or comforters will help a great deal. Using a fan to direct the warm air away from the ceiling and down to you will help also. I used to aim one up at the ceiling in the corner opposite us on low. I'm sure you already use rice bags or something like that to heat up your bed at night...I LOVE my Polar Tec sheets. They were pricey, but they gave so much comfort it has been worth it. No cold cotton sheets to freeze shock my feet and legs has been worth it. Plastic on the windows and doors of the rooms you're not gonna use, and don't forget about the bottom of the doors too. Worst winter I ever spent was in a pre-1900 house in northern OK. You could sit in the kitchen and watch the curtains billowing away from the windows. It was awful and I changed everything I could, but the house was being loaned to us by in-laws so I couldn't make a lot of changes.

[cchapman84]

Originally Posted by empofuniv

I'm sure you already use rice bags or something like that to heat up your bed at night...

I have spent many a night cuddling with my hot water bottle. I think I may go ahead and buy either a heated mattress pad or an electric blanket. Just to get the bed warmed up before I crawl in. Things like that that I can take with me when I move I don't mind investing in. And electric is fairly cheap here, so running something like that for 15-30 minutes or so a day is not big deal.

[jwal10]

Is the only bathroom upstairs? If it were me and there was a bath downstairs, I would stay on the first floor. Maybe make the living into a bedroom. Is it just you or you need 2 bedrooms?

....James

[cchapman84]

Originally Posted by jwal10

Is the only bathroom upstairs? If it were me and there was a bath downstairs, I would stay on the first floor. Maybe make the living into a bedroom. Is it just you or you need 2 bedrooms?

....James

Unfortunately, yes, the only bathroom is upstairs. I probably will close off the other bedroom (it's attached directly to my bedroom plus the hallway, so I'll need to insulate the doors). Guess I really need to start collecting old comforters if I want to manage all this...

The living room is going to double as my office, so I wouldn't want to cram a bed in there, too. Plus, I like to entertain.

[cchapman84]

Just found a mattress pad that only goes on the foot of your bed, instead of the whole thing. That sounds like it might be a better idea and more efficient. And if my feet are warm, I'm happy.

[farmerj]

get some spray foam in a can.

get some of that artificial spider web.

Go down in the basement around the rim joist and then start filling in any leaks you might find.

THAT will be where you will likely get the biggest bang for your buck.

I have been slowly doing this house I am renting and it's gotten to where I am paying $45 per month for heat on an annual budget. About $530 annually for gas heat.

I also went into the basement and put insulation in all the basement windows as well closing them off.

[cchapman84]

Originally Posted by farmerj

get some spray foam in a can.

get some of that artificial spider web.

Go down in the basement around the rim joist and then start filling in any leaks you might find.

THAT will be where you will likely get the biggest bang for your buck.

I have been slowly doing this house I am renting and it's gotten to where I am paying $45 per month for heat on an annual budget. About $530 annually for gas heat.

That's a great idea! And I actually have 3 or 4 new cans of spray foam already! (Which reminds me that I also need to fill in the eaves in the attic...)

[farmerj]

Originally Posted by cchapman84

That's a great idea! And I actually have 3 or 4 new cans of spray foam already! (Which reminds me that I also need to fill in the eaves in the attic...)

DO NOT FILL IN THE EAVES. You are asking for ventilation and moisture issues then.

Last winter, did you still have snow on your roof like everyone else or did you have bare shingles?

[farmerj]

In 1998, our local agency came in and did an energy audit on our house built in 1903.

It was eye opening.

http://www.sendcaa.org/weatherization.htm

These items made THE BIGGEST difference in our heating bills there. And to qualify that, they did an air flow test after each weatherization. We cut the air flow so much after the rim joist, had we done more, (even plastic on the windows) we were going to have air exchange issues and have to put in a $3000 air exchanger.

-Sealing air leaks
-Insulate rim joist
-Seal up duct work

[cchapman84]

Originally Posted by farmerj

DO NOT FILL IN THE EAVES. You are asking for ventilation and moisture issues then.

Last winter, did you still have snow on your roof like everyone else or did you have bare shingles?

Snow. My step-dad was the one who suggested filling in the eaves. Of course, he was also the person who put 6 quarts of oil in my Impreza (which required 4.2 quarts, which is the reason he is no longer allowed to work on my cars...). Thanks for stepping in there!

[farmerj]

Originally Posted by cchapman84

Snow. My step-dad was the one who suggested filling in the eaves. Of course, he was also the person who put 6 quarts of oil in my Impreza (which required 4.2 quarts, which is the reason he is no longer allowed to work on my cars...). Thanks for stepping in there!

having snow on your roof is actually a good sign.

did you have icicles too? or were the edges free of that.

[cchapman84]

Originally Posted by farmerj

having snow on your roof is actually a good sign.

did you have icicles too? or were the edges free of that.

Some icicles, but those were mostly over the windows, and on the southern-facing eaves.

[farmerj]

icicles are a bad sign.

It means you have both poor insulation and poor ventilation in the attic.

What geographic area are you in. IE Northern Ohio etc.

Normally, you want at least R36 insulation in the attic. Doesn't matter HOW you get that value, if it's blown, batts etc. Just so it's R36 or more. The further north, the more you want. I stopped at R50 in batts. It was like 2 feet thick.

I also went in and put in about 18 vents into my eaves with ducts to get past the insulation.

In the peak, I put in a whirly bird vent. I always had snow and never any icicles.

Icicles mean you are ripe for developing ice dam and that means heavy damage.

Ice dams develop as a result of poor insulation and the heat collecting in the attic and melting the snow on the roof. When that moisture then runs down the roof to the eaves, it refreezes and creates a ridge damming the water up behind it and it seeps in under the shingles jacking them up and also wetting the roof boards under the shingles.


some additional information on ice dams.
http://www.extension.umn.edu/distrib...ng/dk1068.html

[Joe.G]

If you don't mind where are you located?
Are you going to use this just as a summer home?
2,200 Foot is a nice size house but not huge. and 40,000 BTU is way under sized for your home, I take it you have forced hot air?
SInce it is your last winter I don't know how far you want to go, If you were planning to stay I would say seal up the Basement with spray foam ( I had mine done by a pro with all the equipment, what a Difference ) and I would insulate the attics leaving it open a bit so the sofits and ridge vent can do there job.

SInce you want temp I would put plastic on the windows and i would shut all the doors up stairs and down that you are not using, I may shut the heat off to the those rooms upstairs and maybe turn it down a bit on teh downstairs rooms.I would put plastic on the doors not being used and i would also insulate between plastic and doors old blankets would work.
The best thing is if you could cut the upstairs off all together but I see that is not a option.

[Whisperwindkat]

Caulk around the windows and around the frames themselves. Do the door frames also. For about 10.00 in caulk you can drastically reduce any drafts coming through those spaces. It is amazing how much old houses move, ours moves a lot and we check the caulk every fall. There have been times that we have had to re-caulk because the house has moved more.

[dcross]

I would put plastic over the doors instead of comforters, air will go around/through a comforter.

Get a down comforter and a heated mattress pad, you won't need heat at night except for the pipes

[snowlady]

My grandparents put magnetic sheets over the furnace vents after they shut them in the rooms they weren't using. We always put hay bales around the foundation. Blankets over the windows.