Cynthia Freeney

I am a big DIYer. I love tackling home imporvement projects on my own, (especially the ones that give me an excuse to put my power tools to a good use). I am also quite frugal. If I can do it myself, why pay somebody else?

However, I always keep in mind that I will need to draw the line at some point, because some jobs are just not for DIYers. Not if you want it well done anyway.

Basement waterproofing (or anything that has to do with basements, crawl spaces and foundations for that matter) is one of these jobs that are better left to a pro. These are the home's supporting structures. We can't afford to go wrong here because there is too much at stake.

You can patch up that crack on the basement wall with some cement, but how long will it last? And what if it is a sign of structural failure? Is it a good idea to mask it?

You can apply some waterproofing coat in the walls, make them look pretty for a while. That is untill the coat begins to bubble, flake and fall off. But how about the ground water outside, which is the real reason why your basement leaks in the first place? The over saturated ground, if left untreated, will eventually cause structural concerns including foundation settlement and bowing basement walls.

Aqueous Basement Systems, a basement and foundation expert from Seattle recently published a great blog post about professional basement waterproofing versus "do it yourself" approaches explaining exactly what the risks and differences are.

Pete Karreman, owner of Omni Basement Systems, our dealer in Ontario, Canada was always a "think outside the box" type of business man, never afraid of stepping out of his comfort zone.

Having recently purchased a new home, he was faced with the challenge of selling his old home, in a competitive real estate market, as quickly as possible.

Already known in the area for driving around town in a decked-out and decaled Nissan Cube with a full-size stuffed mannequin sitting in the passenger seat, Karreman is no stranger to getting attention.

To him, marketing his home is no different than marketing his basement waterproofing services in Ontario.

The house, on the market since November, 12 is located on a half-acre property in Dundas and comes with a pool, home theater, hot tub, and panoramic views. It is listed at $419,900.

It also comes with a buyer's choice of $1,000 worth of free beer or free wine. Buy the house, get the beer.

“This is an exercise in marketing,” Karreman said. “This is about getting your name out there.”

As unconventional as it may seem, it worked. Peter managed to get some local media attention, and a recent open house lured 36 potential buyers.

Larry Janesky, owner of Dr. Energy Saver of Connecticut, a company that specializes in helping CT homeowners lower their energy bills by providing home energy audits and energy saving services throughout the state, shows in this video how to improve an existing home in terms of energy efficiency by applying injection foam insulation in the existing cavity walls.

Available exclusively from Dr. Energy Saver Connecticut, iFoam injection foam insulation does not expand lile regular spray foam insulation, which makes it specially good to be injected in existing wall cavities.

Just like conventional spray foam, it has both insulation and air sealing capabilities and is super energy effcient. iFoam is rated at R-4.6 per in. at 75degrees but the R-value increases to R-5.1 per in. at 35degrees and lower, providing added insulation value when you need it most: during cold weather.

Washington is one of the coldest states in the union, and the western portion also has some of the highest levels of precipitation year round.

For homes built on dirt-floored, vented crawl spaces, that mix of cold winter weather, and very high humidity year round can have a big impact on indoor comfort and energy consumption.

In fact, according to Advanced Energy, a nonprofit agency devoted to energy efficiency, energy losses through unimproved crawl spaces are so significant that homeowners might as well put aside any other attempts to improve energy efficiency, until the crawl space is fixed.

A properly insulated crawl space is, therefore, one of the main components of a green, energy efficient home.

For crawl space insulation to be effective, it needs to be selected and installed properly. There is still a lot of misunderstanding concerning proper treatment of crawl spaces. While recent studies and years of crawl space disasters point to the inefficacy of things like open crawl space vents and fiberglass insulation installed between floor joists, many general contractors are still doing things the old way. The folks at CleanSpace Northwest have been successfully treating crawl spaces in Greater Olympia, Port Angeles, Bainbridge Island, and surrounding areas for a number of years, offering solutions developed according to cutting-edge building science findings. They know what works and what doesn't.

The following are some “Dos and Don'ts” of crawl space insulation, from yourNorthwestern Washingtoncrawl space environment experts.

Don't insulate without sealing air leaks.

Insulation's role is to prevent conductive temperature transfers between the outside and the crawl space. Insulation alone will not prevent temperature changes due to air leakages.

Do: Air seal or encapsulate the crawl space.

Crawl spaces are especially prone to air leakages due to a physics phenomena know as the "Stack Effect". Heated air inside the building rises and escapes through the upper levels. As a result, a low pressure area is created in the lower portions of the building, causing new, unconditioned air to be sucked in through the basement or crawl space. This is why, having the crawl professionally air sealed, or encapsulated, is so important if the goal is to improve energy efficiency.

Don't insulate a vented crawl space by placing fiberglass between the floor joists.

It might come as a surprise to many that this popular and inexpensive method of crawl space insulation is not only ineffective, as it can be downright disastrous.

Fiberglass insulation is the worst possible choice for a crawl space (or any below grade application). For it to be effective it needs to be evenly spread, and loose with as little gaps in the blanket as possible. That alone is difficult to accomplish when applying batches in a tight crawl space with so many joists, pipes, ducts, wires, etc...

Also, fiberglass is only effective if completely dry. Vented, unsealed crawl spaces are humid year round. The fiberglass will soak up the moisture, sag and create voids (empty spaces) in the insulation blanket. When fiberglass gets damp it also gets heavy enough to fall out of place.. Wet or damp fiberglass loses all its R-Value, becoming useless as insulation and, to make matters worse, the paper and the adhesives commonly used to hold the batches together are known to support mold growth.

In a vented crawl space, fiberglass also attracts rodents and other pests, providing warm and fluff shelter.

Do: Encapsulate the crawl and insulate walls and floor with foam board insulation.

The best crawl space insulation method consists of a combination of vapor barrier and foam board insulation. Walls are lined with rigid foam board, and the dirt floor is covered with a thick (20mil) liner, which is then overlapped over the foam a few inches and sealed. All the seams are then sealed and caulked, and the crawl space is then conditioned with a dehumidifier.

If you live in Washington and need help figuring out what are the best options for your crawl space insulation, please contact CleanSpace Northwest for your free, no-obligation, in-home evaluation and let them show you how to transform your moldy crawl space into clean, lean and mean energy efficient machine.

Tankless or Demand Water Heaters are the "new" thing in terms of water heating systems, for a number of reasons.

When compared to conventional storage tank water heaters, they are much more energy efficient, more compact, and provide an endless supply of hot water, shower after shower, load after load of dishes, because they heat water as it is used.

They aren't however, a "new" thing. Tankless water heaters have been used successfully overseas for many years. The technology was being overlooked in the U.S. in times where energy prices were lower and more stable than they are now, the demand wasn't as high, and the resources weren't so scarce.

Now that we are faced with dwindling fossil fuel supplies and able to measure the impact that our energy consumption has in the environment, the tankless water heater re-emerges as a viable way to get much needed hot water and waste less energy.

If you need to replace your old water heater, and want to know if a tankless water heater is the right choice for you, here are some facts that you should consider.

Energy Efficiency

In terms of energy consumption, a tankless water heater performs much better than a storage tank unit. With a tankless model you can cut your water heating bill by as much as 45%.

In a storage tank, there is what we call a "standby heat loss". The water in the tank cools down and needs to be reheated several times a day, in order for you to have hot water whenever you need. That happens several times a day, 24/7, 365 days a year, regardless of whether you are awake or asleep, at home or away.

A tankless will only heat water when it is needed.

Upfront Cost

While tankless water heaters are becoming more affordable, the price for a tankless unit is still a bit higher than the price of a storage tank unit. Installation can also add up if you are replacing an old tank by a tankless, or an electric for natural gas model, as the work may involve making some adaptations.

The good news is that until the end of December 2011, natural gas powered, ENERGY STAR qualified tankless units qualify for a federal tax credit.

Tankless units may also qualify for many other incentives available at a local level in many states.

Tankless units also last much longer than storage units. Expected life of tankless water heaters is 20 years, compared to 10 to 15 years for tank-type water heaters.

Installation

As we said before, if you are replacing an old tank unit by a tankless, there might be the need to adapt some of the existing pipes. On the bright side, tankless units are compact and much smaller than bulky storage tanks, and can fit is small spaces. They are also less susceptible to corrosion than tank units and not as likely to leak and flood the area.

Performance

A tankless water heater significantly reduces energy consumption. Natural gas powered units are also more energy efficient than electricity powered models.

Best results, not only in term of savings but overall performance, are obtained when the model is made to fit the household size, schedules, needs and profile.

Some of the common complaints associated with the use of tankless are usually related to the type and capacity of the system being used.

One of the common complaints is that tankless units can't handle multiple simultaneous uses, such as showering and running the dishwasher at the same time.

Truth is that some models have the ability to modulate capacity to match usage, and operate at the most efficient setting according to how much water is needed. Some models lack that ability.

For homes with many bathrooms, larger families and busy schedules, sometimes it makes sense to install two or more smaller units, to handle different needs.

In addition, let's face it, can you really wash your dishes and shower at the same time with a tank-type model, without quickly running out of hot water?

Another common complaint regarding tankless water heaters is the so called "cold water sandwich". Cold water standing along the pipes than may cause a sudden burst to come out a few seconds after you turn on the hot water. That can be unpleasant if you are in the the shower, but it can be solved if you wait a few seconds before getting in. It usually takes less time than it would normally take for hot water to come out of a tank-type unit.

If you live in Greater Wilmington, Delmarva, and nearby areas, and you are considering a tankless water heater, let Dr. Energy Saver Delaware help you chose and install a system than fits your family's needs, schedules and demand. Call them for a free no obligation Tankless water heater estimate, and save money by making sure you get the right model with the right capacity to handle the job!

Not ready for the switch yet? Dr. Energy Saver Delaware can evaluate your current water heating system, and with small and affordable improvements, make it work at top performance and save you money in water heating bills!