Many Homes Ill Equipped for Extreme Weather

Many thanks to Carl Medford for his years of contributions to the Forum. I would like to add a few additional suggestions to his recent article “Many Homes Ill Equipped for Extreme Weather.” During the recent heat wave, the pavers outside my house measured 135 degrees and the sidewalk measured 124 degrees at 2pm. If walkways can get that hot, it is easy to see stucco siding getting equally as hot. Many of the older stucco houses in our community have walls that can’t be insulated due to line wire stucco. Planting deciduous trees or shrubs to reduce solar exposure would reduce the summer exterior wall temperature and load on the air conditioner.

Insulating the attic without air sealing the attic is like wearing a sweater; it keeps you warm until its windy. The gaps between the sheetrock and framing in the attic create space for air movement between the attic and crawlspace. Sealing those gaps with spray foam will stop interior walls from heating or cooling a house. Some websites state that air sealing is more energy efficient than adding more attic insulation.

Using aluminum foil tape to seal the gaps between the register and floor will stop the cooler air from the crawlspace from entering your house. Sealing those gaps should also improve indoor air quality by preventing any molds, chemicals, fire season smoke, or pests from entering the house. Also, for exterior walls, installing outlet and light switch plate foam gaskets will reduce drafts.

Sealing as many gaps in a house as possible can go a long way towards improving interior comfort and air quality, while reducing some heating and cooling load.

–Keith Tarkington, Castro Valley