Insulation question

[Bonster]

A bathroom vent fan with a timer to allow adequate removal of moisture rather than a switch you turn off as you leave the room is needed.

You might the the only other person I know besides myself who uses a timer on their bathroom fan.  Ever have a guest ask where the switch is for the fan?

[Bonster]

You might want to consider having an "energy audit" done. This typically involves closing up the house, pressurizing it and finding all the ways you're leaking. They also use infra-red photography to identify hot and cold spots.

Having an understanding of your home's "breathing" can actually be fun and doesn't always require expensive, high-tech solutions.

Yep.  I bet you can reduce the air infiltration by 75% with a few cartridges of caulk and a few cans of Great Stuff or DAP Tex.

With a bit of caulk sealant and Great Stuff we saw a considerable increase in temperature in our basement.  I no longer need to supplement it with space heaters.  Though a generally leaky house, if not drafty/uncomfortable, provides better air quality than some brand new tight fit construction.  Many new homes incorporate fresh air intake systems health reasons, and combine them with the HVAC system to condition the air first.

[EC]

I believe the fresh air intake system you refer to is a code requirement now.

[Bonster]

Again, the mere presence of moisture doesn't necessarily indicate a moisture problem.  If so her windows would be steaming up and forming ice as well (or are they?).  A cold plaster wall in a house can ice up quicker than a window, believe it or not.

[watcher]

Again, the mere presence of moisture doesn't necessarily indicate a moisture problem.  If so her windows would be steaming up and forming ice as well (or are they?).  A cold plaster wall in a house can ice up quicker than a window, believe it or not.

Just as a point of information and trivia...

In the land of BRICK bungalows that were built when fuels were relatively cheap and plentiful, it was the shell that mattered. Brick is strong and durable and aesthetically pleasing, but it is a poor insulator. In fact, it's a thermal mass. Most of the solid brick bungalows were constructed with 12" of solid brick. The interior "finish" was applied directly to the brick. Well, furring strips (typically 1x3) were attached to the inside brick, lath was nailed to that and plaster applied leaving no "cavity" to accept insulation and very little in the way of a thermal break.

Since medieval times, wall hangings have been used in cold weather as a thermal break, to reduce chill via conduction. Rich tapestries, heavy fabrics, animal skins and a descending line of variations of these, depending on ones means, were a requirement prior to central heating. The advent of modern heating allowed better regulation of inside temperatures, but didn't eliminate the conduction losses of masonry. Short of gut rehab, building a well-insulated frame house within the brick shell and losing sq. footage, dealing with cold walls is a huge challenge.

The aesthetics of lining ones walls, from floor to ceiling, with pelts today is a challenge, (not to mention a fire hazard), but can greatly improve the winter livability. Creative souls can even develop something of a decorating style incorporating seasonal themes, or Velvet Elvises, Poker Playing Dog tapestries, Oriental screens, or, as I did for a while, the old sleeping bags with outdoorsy themed lining hung from the picture molding.

We've even considered "siding" our brick house so we could add exterior insulation, but can't bring ourselves to take the plunge.

[chandasz]

What a cool idea-- tapestry!! Totally velvet elvis.

The only moisture is from the humidifier we run on the totally other side of the upstairs.

I kept thinking my husband ran it for me and the kids but found that he runs it for his guitars.... HA. Monitors the correct humidity very carefully.

We do also get ice on the back window near the staircase.... but no other windows upstairs and no other walls....