Yesterday an
d today I had fun filled days with five different workers. I had the energy audit people fixing different things on and in my home. I guess when my house was built, they forgot to caulk around the outside of the basement windows. That explains the bug problem I have had in the basement. It didn't seem to matter what I did around the windows, little beetles and small spiders would get in. I put boric acid around the edges of the carpet to kill them once they were in but never figured out how they were getting in. Now, I know.
d today I had fun filled days with five different workers. I had the energy audit people fixing different things on and in my home. I guess when my house was built, they forgot to caulk around the outside of the basement windows. That explains the bug problem I have had in the basement. It didn't seem to matter what I did around the windows, little beetles and small spiders would get in. I put boric acid around the edges of the carpet to kill them once they were in but never figured out how they were getting in. Now, I know.One man caulked around the edges of my window. Another, fixed a spring that opens and closes one of my windows. Two men came to figure out how they were going to fix my furnace code violations and scheduled to come in a few weeks. Another cut holes in my bathroom ceilings to replace my scary exhaust fans that vented illegally into the attic. The fans we had would stop working an
d I would have to get up and spray them with WD-40 almost monthly and they made a horrible sound. The new vents they put in are Panasonic and so quiet that when they are on, and the door is closed, I can't hear them.
d I would have to get up and spray them with WD-40 almost monthly and they made a horrible sound. The new vents they put in are Panasonic and so quiet that when they are on, and the door is closed, I can't hear them.Funny story about that - About two years ago, Panasonic contacted me asking if I wanted to test their bathroom vents. I said I did, we got to the point of contacting a contractor to put them in when Panasonic pulled the trial because of budget cuts. I hoped they would decide to reinstate the test trials. Funny how Heavenly Father blesses me with what I want and with what I need. I was to the point that I was getting scared to use the ceiling fan in my bathroom because it would make noise and not go around. I looked at it wondering if I could replace it myself even to the point of going up into the attic
. It was a bit beyond me as new holes needed to be cut. I also have radiant electric heat through the ceilings and was worried I would do damage to those coils. I don't use the radiant heat but if I ever needed it, I wouldn't want to worry I would start a fire or not have it work. If we didn't use the vents, the bathroom is humid and mildew grows. Here is a picture of the outside vents. I had one of the bathroom vents on and the other off. You can see that when the vent is on, the little shutters open up and when off, they close keeping the attic safe from critters.
. It was a bit beyond me as new holes needed to be cut. I also have radiant electric heat through the ceilings and was worried I would do damage to those coils. I don't use the radiant heat but if I ever needed it, I wouldn't want to worry I would start a fire or not have it work. If we didn't use the vents, the bathroom is humid and mildew grows. Here is a picture of the outside vents. I had one of the bathroom vents on and the other off. You can see that when the vent is on, the little shutters open up and when off, they close keeping the attic safe from critters.Once again, my Heavenly Father has provided for my needs. After they vented the fans to the outside, they then found the source of a direct inlet of cold air to my basement under my large tub. They put foam in the attic around the pipes that weren't insulated and t
hen sprayed another 3-5 inches of insulation into my attic and then cut a board and put foam around the edges and screwed it in beneath the tub so that there would be a barrier on both ends to keep the cold air from coming in.
One man put little fuzzy sticky corners at the bottom of all of my outside doors. I guess the magnetic strip were a bit compressed at the bottom and sometimes I could see light through and also sometimes bugs would come through so they have these little sticky backed fuzzy corners they stick to the bottom of the door frame and that took care of it.
hen sprayed another 3-5 inches of insulation into my attic and then cut a board and put foam around the edges and screwed it in beneath the tub so that there would be a barrier on both ends to keep the cold air from coming in.One man put little fuzzy sticky corners at the bottom of all of my outside doors. I guess the magnetic strip were a bit compressed at the bottom and sometimes I could see light through and also sometimes bugs would come through so they have these little sticky backed fuzzy corners they stick to the bottom of the door frame and that took care of it.
Other men replaced my shower heads and faucet aerators with water saving ones. I was a bit shocked at the sediment that was blocking my old aerators. The shower heads, I knew had issues ,but the aerators were a shock. I tried to clean the old one's after just to see how they would look, most were so bad it took the coating off the bronze or copper.
Even though I replaced most of my lights with the compact florescent lights that I mentioned in my other post (click here for that) about the energ
y audit, there was the bathroom strips downstairs that they replaced with compact florescent bulbs which will help on my bills as the girls use the lights to get ready every day.
y audit, there was the bathroom strips downstairs that they replaced with compact florescent bulbs which will help on my bills as the girls use the lights to get ready every day.The men left me with these little insulation pieces that are cut into the shape of the power outlets and the light switches. I couldn't believe when they hooked up the fan and sucked all the air out of my house, when you stuck your hand on the outlets of an outside wall, that you could feel cold air coming in through the power outlets and light switches. It was really amazing to see and feel. Today, after the men left, I took screwdriver in hand and while listening to a book on audio, I put insulation into all my outside wall outlets and light switches. Who would have thought that would be an issue. I figured the wall insulation would have taken care of that but I can testify that I felt cold air coming through my light switches on the outside walls.
Lastly, they replaced the carbon monoxide detectors and two of my smoke detectors with combined s
moke and carbon units. I didn't even know they had a combo unit. I was thrilled about that. I do test my smoke detectors regularly and use lithium long use batteries in most of the smoke detector units, the workers told me that they usually last less than 10 years so any unit you have had over ten years, should be replaced. Both my carbon monoxide detectors and the smoke detectors are over 10 years old so I am grateful to have the combined units. Look how dusty and dirty mine was. It even had cobwebs inside.
moke and carbon units. I didn't even know they had a combo unit. I was thrilled about that. I do test my smoke detectors regularly and use lithium long use batteries in most of the smoke detector units, the workers told me that they usually last less than 10 years so any unit you have had over ten years, should be replaced. Both my carbon monoxide detectors and the smoke detectors are over 10 years old so I am grateful to have the combined units. Look how dusty and dirty mine was. It even had cobwebs inside.I mention all of the things they did to help me save on my water, electric, gas and other bills to give you ideas on what you can do in your home to help cut down the bills. I don't think you need to have them come hook up a fan to help you now that I have shared all the things that they did to help insulate and improve my house. I know that the gas company will send someone out to check your appliances and give you a green sticker. I had that done before. The other things I mention are things you can
do mostly on your own to make your home more economic for you as well as keeping you warmer in the cold months and cooler in the hotter months. I am sure that insulation will work both ways.
do mostly on your own to make your home more economic for you as well as keeping you warmer in the cold months and cooler in the hotter months. I am sure that insulation will work both ways. Heavenly Father really does take care of all my needs. I really do need to start trusting him in other ways. I think I just lack faith to trust that he can heal my heart and bless me with a good and honorable man. Any ideas how I can let go of that fear of being hurt again? I am so good at seeing issues in others and helping them overcome them but when it comes to my biggest issue.... I can't seem to get past it myself. I'll keep turning it over to my Father and see what he comes up with for me! He hasn't done me wrong yet! Prayer does wonders..... Keep the faith!
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