Category Archives: Energy Efficiency

THE WEIRDEST THING I HAVE EVER SEWN

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I have sewn many things with my set of upholstery needles: shoes, purses, cell phone cases, furniture, rugs, carpet, etc. But this one takes the cake.

I cannot open my windows unless I put allergy screens in them. I have to send them to the car wash and have them cleaned with the power washer there. Last week they were cleaned on a windy day and they blew over. One screen came apart.

It is two layers of wire mesh with special material inside. This particular screen is a replacement insert that I tape to the screens that go in my big front windows. It is held together with two wire brackets.

The mesh became twisted and would not go back in the wire bracket. I ended up putting the three pieces together and sliding it in the bracket a few inches at a time. I would sew, those few inches, around the bracket and through all three layers to hold it in place.

It worked. I certainly did not want to wait for a replacement before I opened those windows. Some repairs are permanent and some are temporary. This temporary repair meant I did not have to run the air conditioner and that saved me money.

My big window with the allergy screens in them.

My big window with the allergy screens in them.

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ANOTHER USE FOR A SNUGGLY

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We received a “Snuggly” as a gag gift one Christmas. I threw it in the closet in my office thinking I might use it on a particularly cold day.

I have posted several pictures of my office and you can see my writing desk is in the center of the room backed by a dresser that I use for storage.  Since heat rises, it gets cold under that writing desk. I hate to turn up the heat and I found a new solution this winter.

My feet and legs get cold, but my upper body is comfortable. I spread the “Snuggly” over my office chair and I wrap it around my legs and feet. I don’t have to turn up the furnace or wear my house coat all day to be warm. It works the same as a lap quilt.

On brutally cold days, I wear the “Snuggly” just like I would wear my house coat.

I drape the "Snuggly" over my office chair.

I drape the “Snuggly” over my office chair.

LOOK UP FOR STORAGE

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My home is small and there are not a lot of kitchen cupboards. My husband is over 6 foot and with 8 foot ceilings, a ceiling rack was not an option. I ended up hanging my baskets and pans on the walls. There is a double purpose here, as it is a north wall and the baskets add a layer of insulation.

Hang your baskets and pans on the wall.

Hang your baskets and pans on the wall.

NOW PLAYING ON THE BIG SCREEN…

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Since I live in Iowa, my dream home would have to have a full basement. I want a safe place to go when the tornadoes are blowing by. In the basement of my dreams there would be a theater. It would have velvet curtains on both sides of the screen and framed posters on the walls. There would be recliners complete with drink cups for at least eight people. Of course, there would be no windows to let us view our movie in darkness.

Back in the real world…the TV we watch the most is upstairs and there is a floor-to-ceiling window in it. The drapes I purchased for this window are “Energy Star” approved and they have a black-out lining. They block the light on the brightest of days making anytime “Movie Time.”

The drapes in my front room have a black-out lining.

The drapes in my front room have a black-out lining.

JANUARY THAW PROJECT

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I have one room that is always cooler in the winter than the rest of the house. Unfortunately, it is my office and I spend a lot of time in there! When I had my furnace serviced, I mentioned it to the plumber. He said it was the last register on the line and it was hard for the fan to push air to it.

One way to improve the situation was to tape the seams of the ducts with silver tape. It is designed to withstand heat and cold. My husband taped all of the seams last year. I noticed some of the old tape showing through. I think I will add another strip of tape to each seam to make sure no air is escaping from under the old white tape.  I am lucky since my ducts are exposed in the basement! It will not be difficult to do.

A seam that needs new tape.

A seam that needs new tape.

Use the Sun to Your Advantage

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I use my drapes, sheers and blinds to control the temperature in my house.

When the heat is over 90 degrees, I shut all of them until the sun is no longer shining in the window.

I shut the sheer curtains, to reflect the heat and turn the blinds to deflect the light when the temperature is in the eighties.

Close the sheers and the blinds on sweltering days.

I usually open the windows when it is 60-70 degrees and I leave all of the window coverings open.

Open all of the curtains when the windows are open.

When it cools down, I leave the sheers open to let the heat of the sun warm the room.

On cool, cloudy days, I keep the sheer curtains closed to trap the cold air by the glass.

On bitter, cold, cloudy days, I drape the curtains partway closed.

Drape the curtains on bitter cold, cloudy days.

When it comes to heating your house…let the sun work for you!

Furnace Check

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Every year I try to keep from turning the furnace on until the last possible moment. The longest we have waited was the day before Thanksgiving. This year the weather won the contest because I was sick for a couple of weeks and it got cold!

Our furnace was installed in 1971 when they built the house. We have the money to replace it, and the central air, but the plumber told us to just keep using it until it stopped working.

So, how do you keep your furnace working for decades?  Maintenance.

I have severe allergies and we use a permanent allergy filter. Once a month my husband takes the filter to the car wash and blasts all of the dirt and dust out of it. If you use disposable filters, put a new one in once a month.

And every year we have the plumber come in and check the furnace. We are lucky in our area because our utility company gives a rebate that covers part of the bill.

Programmable Thermostat

My Glowing New Door Color

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I have painted my front door several colors over the years. I really wanted a red door, but my husband didn’t.  The last color I painted it was a dark, smoky blue to match the shutters on the house. I noticed that the air between the door and the storm door was really hot in the summer. That blue door just absorbed the heat.

Two years ago, I decided to paint the door white on the inside and the outside. I thought it would reflect the light and cut down on the heat entering the house in the summer. It took me two days to paint it.

That night I noticed light in the entryway when I turned on the hall light. The hall light was reflected in a picture in the hall and by the mirror on the wall and the white door. It lightened up my entryway! I am sure glad I did not have a dark-colored door this last summer during the high heat and the drought.

My white front door.

Filling in Cracks and Spaces

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Our bed is on the west wall in a northwest room.  On bitter cold winter nights, I would feel cool air around my pillow. I got out a 1” X 2” and slid it in the space between the headboard and the bed. It blocks the air from the wall. I can’t believe how much warmer it made sleeping!

A 1″ x 2″ board fills the space between my headboard and bed.

Repair Vertical Blind Vanes

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I have two large windows in my front room and kitchen. I used vertical blinds, not horizontal blinds on these two windows…along with sheer curtains, drapes and a valance. When one of the vanes breaks I repair it using a three-hole punch, because I do not own a single-hole punch.

Broken vertical blind slat.

Turn broken vane upside down.

Bottom of vane and a three-hole punch.

Punch a hole in the center of the bottom edge.

Repaired vertical blind vane.

Re-install upside down.
Put a piece of packing tape on the back of it at the top for reinforcement.

The broken part is so close to the floor that it is not noticeable.