attic Archives - Energy Vanguard https://www.energyvanguard.com/tag/attic/ Building science knowledge, HVAC design, & fun Mon, 13 May 2024 16:00:30 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.6.2 A Weekend Zehnder ERV Installation Blitz https://www.energyvanguard.com/blog/a-weekend-zehnder-erv-installation-blitz/ https://www.energyvanguard.com/blog/a-weekend-zehnder-erv-installation-blitz/#view_comments Tue, 30 Apr 2024 12:35:27 +0000 https://www.energyvanguard.com/?p=8970 You may recall that in 2021 Zehnder America gave me one of their premium energy recovery ventilators (ERV) with all the components I needed to get it up and running in my house.  It’s taken longer than I wanted to…

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]]> https://www.energyvanguard.com/blog/a-weekend-zehnder-erv-installation-blitz/feed/ 22 Don’t Vent Bath Fans to the Attic! https://www.energyvanguard.com/blog/dont-vent-bath-fans-to-the-attic/ https://www.energyvanguard.com/blog/dont-vent-bath-fans-to-the-attic/#view_comments Tue, 30 Jan 2024 14:46:27 +0000 https://www.energyvanguard.com/?p=8814 Bathrooms need some way of exhausting air.  Mostly it’s to keep the humidity down, but, depending on who lives in the house, the bathroom also can be a source of a lot of volatile organic compounds (VOCs).  Not all homes…

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]]> https://www.energyvanguard.com/blog/dont-vent-bath-fans-to-the-attic/feed/ 13 Weatherizing an Old House: An MLK Day Service Project https://www.energyvanguard.com/blog/weatherizing-an-old-house-an-mlk-day-service-project/ https://www.energyvanguard.com/blog/weatherizing-an-old-house-an-mlk-day-service-project/#view_comments Wed, 17 Jan 2024 15:26:19 +0000 https://www.energyvanguard.com/?p=8773 A lot of volunteers gathered in Decatur, Georgia this past weekend for the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Service Project.  They worked at a number of sites doing all kinds things to improve the homes of low-income senior citizens.  The…

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]]> https://www.energyvanguard.com/blog/weatherizing-an-old-house-an-mlk-day-service-project/feed/ 16 10 Ways Your House Is Haunted https://www.energyvanguard.com/blog/10-ways-your-house-is-haunted/ https://www.energyvanguard.com/blog/10-ways-your-house-is-haunted/#view_comments Tue, 31 Oct 2023 15:47:14 +0000 https://www.energyvanguard.com/?p=8675 Imagine the house of your dreams.  It’s beautiful and laid out efficiently.  You’re always comfortable.  It promotes health and happiness.  The operating costs are low.  You don’t have to spend much to maintain it.  You don’t get a lot of…

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]]> https://www.energyvanguard.com/blog/10-ways-your-house-is-haunted/feed/ 9 7 Stupid Things You Can Do With Air https://www.energyvanguard.com/blog/stupid-things-to-do-with-air/ https://www.energyvanguard.com/blog/stupid-things-to-do-with-air/#view_comments Tue, 17 Oct 2023 13:03:15 +0000 https://www.energyvanguard.com/?p=8627 The Talking Heads said it best:  “Air can hurt you, too.”  And it does it in so many ways.  It can hurt your pocketbook.  It can make you uncomfortable.  It can make you sweat.  It can make you sick.  And,…

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]]> https://www.energyvanguard.com/blog/stupid-things-to-do-with-air/feed/ 15 Uncovering the Secrets of an Old House https://www.energyvanguard.com/blog/uncovering-the-secrets-of-an-old-house/ https://www.energyvanguard.com/blog/uncovering-the-secrets-of-an-old-house/#view_comments Tue, 06 Jun 2023 13:59:33 +0000 https://www.energyvanguard.com/?p=8306 I’ve been in a lot of old houses and seen a lot of interesting things.  One of the things I love about that is trying to figure out the mysteries I find.  Lately, the mysteries I’ve been encountering are in…

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]]> https://www.energyvanguard.com/blog/uncovering-the-secrets-of-an-old-house/feed/ 6 Is Venting an Unconditioned Attic Necessary? https://www.energyvanguard.com/blog/is-venting-an-unconditioned-attic-necessary/ https://www.energyvanguard.com/blog/is-venting-an-unconditioned-attic-necessary/#view_comments Thu, 11 May 2023 15:05:14 +0000 https://www.energyvanguard.com/?p=8277 Let’s talk about the controversial issue of venting an unconditioned attic with outdoor air.  It’s easy to confuse causes and symptoms sometimes, and that happens a lot with attic ventilation.  I’ll say upfront, though, that the International Residential Code requires…

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]]> https://www.energyvanguard.com/blog/is-venting-an-unconditioned-attic-necessary/feed/ 30 Can Cold Surfaces Wring Moisture From Dry Air? https://www.energyvanguard.com/blog/can-cold-surfaces-wring-moisture-from-dry-air/ https://www.energyvanguard.com/blog/can-cold-surfaces-wring-moisture-from-dry-air/#view_comments Tue, 21 Feb 2023 14:32:22 +0000 https://www.energyvanguard.com/?p=8105 Cold air is dry air, right?  Think about the humidity in your house in winter compared to what it is in summer.  If you’re in a humid climate, it’s going to be drier in winter.  Even in dry climates, it’s…

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]]> https://www.energyvanguard.com/blog/can-cold-surfaces-wring-moisture-from-dry-air/feed/ 11 A Frosty Heat Loss Puzzler https://www.energyvanguard.com/blog/a-frosty-heat-loss-puzzler/ https://www.energyvanguard.com/blog/a-frosty-heat-loss-puzzler/#view_comments Wed, 02 Nov 2022 19:09:41 +0000 https://www.energyvanguard.com/?p=7897 My house exhibits an interesting phenomenon on occasion.  A lot of people who understand building science sometimes jump to the wrong conclusion when they see it.  Hey, I did the same thing myself at first, too.  The puzzle lies in…

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]]> https://www.energyvanguard.com/blog/a-frosty-heat-loss-puzzler/feed/ 33 Is Wind Washing Reducing Your Insulation R-Value? https://www.energyvanguard.com/blog/is-wind-washing-reducing-your-insulation-r-value/ https://www.energyvanguard.com/blog/is-wind-washing-reducing-your-insulation-r-value/#view_comments Tue, 11 Oct 2022 12:38:51 +0000 https://www.energyvanguard.com/?p=7822 You’d think that after more than 12 years and a thousand-plus articles, I’d have mentioned all the major building science terms by now.  Yet, here we are.  I just did a search of all the articles in this blog and…

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