The space between the finished and rough frame of the window (hidden behind the window trim) is a major source of heat loss and hidden moisture damage inside walls. The trim should be sealed or removed and the gap filled and sealed if this was not done at the time of construction. Just stuffing...
Gary from Toronto has a 75 year old door with copper V strip weather-stripping that doesn't stop much wind any more. What to do?Wooden outside doors tend to warp a bit with changes in the weather and with any direct sunlight on them, so you will probably find that the south facing door will warp...
Ed and Sharon in Manitoba just bought an old house in Manitoba and it is very cold, there doesn't seem to be any insulation in the walls at all. They have been told that it was double brick construction with plaster on the inside. Well friends, it was probably built by someone from Toronto who ...
First, the fancy way: infrared photography can identify temperature changes on different parts of the house, and thus heat losses. With proper interpretation of the photograph you can know which heat losses are caused by air leaks and which by missing or soaked insulation. This is like an X-ra...
I am always amazed at house construction where so often things are half built or more while people are running around beginning to think about "extras" that should never be though of as "extras" but as part of the essential system. So time for one of my lectures -- (you asked for it).Heating is o...
If you look carefully at the photo above you will see that I am holding a rather strange door latch. This thing is called Door Tite and it solves so many problems with exterior doors such as where you have to pull hard part of the year to be able to close the deadbolt with your key. It has a li...
Brenda from Port Hardy, B.C. says that her wood burning insert smells of soot when it is not in use.The problem is obviously one of air coming down the chimney. Either the exhaust fans in the house are drawing air when there is no fire to maintain an upward draft, or the wind is twisted around on...
I don't often answer all the details of a long letter, especially not with the time constraints that we have on television. But Larry from Sydney Mines, Nova Scotia wrote such a coherent detailed letter about the 80 years old very cold home that he just bought that I thought I would just wade in...
Vapour Barriers should go on the "Warm in Winter" side of the insulation so that they can stop all the moisture in the air from going through the wall, but stop it where it is still warm and there will be no condensation. The problem is that a lot of air, and a lot of moisture can go through ele...
Rob wrote in saying that he had an Energy Audit done on his house and as part of the energy tune-up, they caulked his window trim down to the wall. Yet he thinks this was a wasted effort because he put the trim on himself and it was just decorative.In most window installations, the trim actually...
