Heat loss / Green Building & Sustainable Home Renovation Information & Advice

...heat flow The R-value is the most commonly understood metric for insulation materials. It specifically quantifies the ability of a material to resist the flow of heat - heat conducted through the material, heat convected through it, and heat radiated from it. What the R-value number means In North America, R-value is m...

...Heat: Wood Stoves and Heat Pumps This temporary sealing method is the perfect strategy for homeowners who have upgraded to a high-efficiency heat pump but want to keep their wood stove or fireplace for emergency backup heat. In cold climates or areas prone to power outages, having a non-electric heat source provides re...

...heat loss from your roof: Icicles on a roof are caused by heat escaping, pure and simple. So many homes have them that we have grown accustomed to seeing them and think nothing of it, but they don't grow by themselves - they are cooked up by the heat leaving your house - and ice in a roof, known as ice damming, is prob...

...heating and cooling, and in some respects, how durable it will be. The transfer of heat (or heat loss) occurs in 3 ways: conduction, convection and radiation. Within a home those 3 factors can impact each other and in effect work in conjunction, most often against you. CONVECTION refers to the transfer of heat due to t...

...heat loss due to air transmission and the potential moisture damage from air leaks, air barriers should be getting a lot more attention than they are. If you're looking to lower your HVAC costs, prioritizing caulking for energy efficiency is a high-ROI weekend project. Now you know the difference between air barrie...