Baseboards, Cold Floors and Drafts

[Mellery]

I can't recall who suggested this in The Hearth Room over the winter. Someone said to walk barefoot by the walls and see if they are colder than the rest of the floor. If so, take off the baseboards and see what's what where the wall and floor meet and insulate as needed.

Our great room is open to our stove room and I knew as soon as I read that it was something we needed to fix. Sure enough, big gap all along the exterior walls where the wood floor should have met the wall. So we filled it in with tubular sponge-like insulation, caulked it up, laid down 1-1/2" x 1 boards and topped them with 1 x 6's.

Of course then the door trim needed to be redone since it looked puny next to the new baseboards.

WELL, here we are in the low 40's overnight and 50's during the day and the insulation, caulking and baseboards have made a HUGE difference! No more cold floor, no more draft, great room is warm and looks good to boot



Some has been painted and some has to wait til the weather warms up again but I'm amazed at the difference! So worth the effort to do this project.

And thank you to whoever it was that posted about this. Sure wish I could remember who.

 

[mithesaint]

Wasn't me that posted it, but I can report similar results. Granted, the air is probably just leaking in somewhere else now, but at least the room feels warmer and less drafty. Hopefully I get to start the project of airsealing from the outside next summer.

 

[Mellery]

Outside airsealing - there's a job and a half! We did it last fall; took us about two weeks working it on and off. Used 2 CASES of flexible caulking for all windows, doors, trim and any holes or gaps we could see (there were a lot). We used the flexible to contract/expand with temp changes and doesn't crack easily. Then painted the house with 2 coats of high-quality paint -great for insulation since our home is 2x4's with plywood siding (vertical pieces about 16" wide). Made a tremendous difference inside.

I also think the baseboard job made such a big difference because one of those walls in the great room is the longest wall in any room and it's on the prevailing wind side of our home (also high up off the ground due to living on the side of a hill with a crawl space). Would love to enclose the crawl space but our propane lines run under there so not safe.

This airsealing stuff is rather non-stop I think

 

[Highbeam]

Is there a rule about not enclosing your crawlspace due to gas lines?

 

[begreen]

Gas lines run through basements that are totally sealed. What makes a crawlspace different?

 

[billb3]

Is there a rule about not enclosing your crawlspace due to gas lines?

Gas lines shouldn't need venting wherever they run. Where they terminate is another ball of wax.

Sure enough, big gap all along the exterior walls where the wood floor should have met the wall.

Actually, it shouldn't have met the wall.
1.) it's common depending on the type of flooring to leave a gap for longitudinal thermal expansion of the flooring .
2.) there's no need to have flooring where it serves no purpose.

That gap or air space should be filled with conditioned interior air not cold outside air.
As you found, you have a leak on the perimeter of your framing and this is quite common in construction that has paid little detail to barrier air sealing during construction.
Barring further deconstruction to attempt to remedy it at the source, an attempt at a barrier like you have is a well worth the effort in comfort and expensive heating losses.

Consider that cold air coming in was being displaced by warm air going out and those going out sources should also be found and remedied.
Good luck on any and all continuing effort(s) at improving the energy efficiency of your home.

 

[Highbeam]

Consider that cold air coming in was being displaced by warm air going out and those going out sources should also be found and remedied.
Good luck on any and all continuing effort(s) at improving the energy efficiency of your home.

Agreed, the leaks up high that allow hot air to escape won't be as easy to feel but once they are gone any leaks down low won't be able to allow cold air in since the house pressure will be neutral vs. a suction as it is now with only the low leaks fixed.

 

[Mellery]

Is there a rule about not enclosing your crawlspace due to gas lines?

Gas lines run through basements that are totally sealed. What makes a crawlspace different?

Our GC has lived here his entire life and spent his adult life as a GC. We are fairly new here. He told us not to enclose - if there was a leak it would blow the house a hundred feet into the air v. allowing the leak until fixed. Maybe his knowledge is wrong?
I don't know.

Up high leaks in this house. I think I've just about reached the point of putting hooks at the entry of every room with a jacket or sweater and being done (we're at 30K in 3 yrs for comfort). Every room is a different temperature. Always. Even within rooms there are variations where my fingers can go numb at any given time. And those are rooms with time and money spent. I'm beginning to think we should sell this house. It seems to always get better but not. Does that make sense?

 

[Mellery]

What about the ceiling fan in that large room running in winter mode? Could that be the suction source up high causing the issue? I can't find any thing else up high that could cause this. The fan is close in proximity to the stove room rather than farther away - we opened up the wall between those 2 rooms to keep the warm air from the stove being trapped in the stove room.

Meanwhile, as the coldish weather continues, I am caulking everything in the garage (holes, gaps, etc) since it's above 40. We had replaced the garage door with one that is insulated, laid thick carpet and padding on the concrete floors among many other things. Two interior walls touch the garage walls and those 2 interior walls were always so cold. Can't say they are warm yet like true interior walls but they aren't cold-cold either like they used to be. The garage now stays 15-20 degrees consistently warmer than the outside v. being the same temp as outside in the past, so it has to be helping.