The science of "warm"
by Joel Thompson
(Colorado, U.S.A.)
When more and more people are thinking about how they can save energy, and in this case heat energy in the winter or in a cold area, it is very helpful to understand just WHAT is actually happening. This is what I would like to share with you today. I'm not going to go into great detail about all the little things that won't necessarily help with the end result, instead I'm going to share with you just the basic concepts so that you can much more easily "see" and understand what we're dealing with, practically speaking, in a way that stays focused on the desired result: Making our homes warmer in the winter! Now without further ado, here we go.
What we we are dealing with is called energy transfer, Infrared energy. Infrared energy is basically, the speed rating of an object's temperature transfer. So now think of it this way: we have "coldness" outside our home, right? So what is coldness? Lets just think of it as slower stuff, on a molecular level. What we want to do therefore is keep the things in our house vibrating faster at a speed that we call 70 degrees Fahrenheit.
So once again temperature is basically the speed that an object's molecules are vibrating. Infrared energy is basically the rate at which an object shares its temperature with the objects around it.
SO!, What does all this science stuff mean to my house?! OK, here we go: Now that we have a basic understanding of what's happening inside different temperature objects, we want to consider which types of objects or materials are the best for keeping our houses warm with the least amount of heating, i.e.: COST! Now materials can fall into three main categories for home construction consideration: High Density, medium and low density. Simple, right! NOW we're getting somewhere!
Which materials work best for what? Well, The higher the density of an object or a material, the more molecules it has inside. The more molecules it has inside, the greater chances of them bumping into the objects or materials AROUND it.
So in short, what you want to do is place a large amount of (durable, weather resistance) LOW density materials in between you and the cold, while having the highest amount of High density material in the CORE of your house, where they are surrounded by "warmness." The best area for the High Density objects or materials is the center wall of a house. The High Density materials should NOT be in contact with the outside wall and should probably be at least 4 feet away from it. There are retro-fit products available that you can install yourself in your existing home, though designing a home from scratch will get you a more efficient design.
There ARE other factors involved, but these are probably the most important. Now back to the LOW Density materials for your exterior walls. If you can build your own home, then that is best, but if you'd like to use your existing home, then that is fine too. Really, we don't typically have to get over 90% efficiency because we're not living on the moon in -400F. We live on a much nicer planet that has milder temperatures thanks to our nice cozy atmosphere! So which material fit the bill and how do you install them to make the level of difference you'd like to? Well one of the EASIEST ways to largely improve your home's heating efficiency and slash that heating bill is to simply re-insulate the INTERIOR of your home with sheet foam and then re-panel it with whatever paneling or wallboard you desire, again, choosing the lighter density for greater heating efficiency. The thicker the layer of foam (LOW Density Material) the higher efficiency your heating will be. I would recommend no LESS than 3 inches of foam sheeting. This size works great with the traditional 3 1/2 inch wall studs commonly used in a 2X4" wall. It may be best to hire a General Contractor or Re-modeler if you are not comfortable building things or learning new things with your hands. It is NOT too difficult for a mechanically inclined newbie to handle, but YOU will have to be the judge of whether or not it will be worth it, to have your home messy and dangerous for 3-6 times longer than a good contractor will. It should take a professional contractor between 1-4 weeks per 1000 square feet to complete the job start to finish, with a 3-4 man crew, depending on materials used. If for instance you choose pre-finished 4X8 panels, they could be done much faster than if you choose, Adobe brush-finish or drywall.
A few extras notes:
As I said earlier there ARE a few other factors involved. Some of these bear a quick mention as you can increase your efficiency sometimes very cost effectively by changing or utilizing them. Here they are:
Airtight seals!
It is assumed that you already have achieved this, so if you haven't, go around your entire house on the exterior AND of course the interior and consider EACH hole or crack you see or air movement that you feel on the back of your fingers or hand. Hopefully you have tiny little hairs growing there. That will help you to feel the tiny little drafts that chip away at your "warmness," at a surprisingly effective level.
Energy Saving Window Film!
... or Low-e windows or BOTH! to bring your home to the next level of heating efficiency. This 
is really cheap at about $35 for a 48X84inch sheet and similar prices for smaller sheets. They can be found on Amazon.com and more info call be found on this site on the page Energy efficient window film.
COLOR!
Yes, you read right, the color of surfaces in the home can actually make a large difference in their temperature after a few hours in the sun. Some of your homes may appreciate solar heat through a window that has high exposure the our local star's light (the sun). :) By painting the floor or back wall that gets a lot of direct light a dark color, you can increase the temperature of the entire room. Likewise you can decrease the temperature in a hot spot.
Well I think that gives a very good overview of what it is we're really working with as well as several subjects you can study next to begin to formulate your own CUSTOM Home-Heating Efficiency Upgrade Plan! Good Luck and make SURE you have a blast while doing it! Peace, Joel
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