- We purchased a laser temperature gun for about $19 (http://www.amazon.com/Nubee%C2%AE-Temperature-Non-contact-Infrared-Thermometer/dp/B00CVHIJDK/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1392060740&sr=8-8&keywords=laser+temperature+gun) FYI: this is a fantastic gift for all of you DIY'ers out there.
- We measured the exact temperature of all of the walls, ceiling and floor to establish a baseline.
- We met with an HVAC specialist who helped us rearrange the furniture in the room so that the heat coming off of the ventilation would be better disbursed throughout the room (and not blocked by any furniture). During that time, he put his hand over the vents and could clearly feel warm air coming through. He also put a tissue over the return while the HVAC was running and the suction was apparent in that the tissue sucked up immediately against the return. He told us our biggest problem was insulation.
- We noticed that the wall with the window was clearly the coldest and that tons of heat was escaping right there. We went to IKEA, purchased curtain liners along with clip on decorative curtains and installed them across the entire wall. It was almost immediately noticeable that we gained about 1-2 degrees of warmth. Just by blocking these windows and the wall, we were able to trap heat in the room.
- We hired a GC to come to the home to insulate. The strategy was two fold: a) make sure all of the existing insulation was well buttoned up and created an “envelope” that is required to trap the heat and b) use a blow pump to shoot insulation into the hard to reach areas.
After doing a little investigation, we were SHOCKED to find out that the insulation that was underneath the bedroom was resting on the garage ceiling (per code), but there was a 3-4 inch GAP between the insulation and the sub-floor above it. This means that there was no real insulation on the floor. Cold air was circulating under the room. The room was essentially an ice box. We rented a blow pump from Lowes/Home Depot and shot about 8 units of insulation in between that small gap below the floor.
Before and after pictures of the insulation above the vaulted ceiling: notice the GAP at the peak. Heat was escaping through this area which lacked thorough insulation:
With the combination of the heavy curtain wall, and the insulation, the room is now much warmer and noticeable more comfortable.
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