Cambria Glass

When temperatures plummet and snow starts falling, remember to look up and check your roof for ice. Ice dams are accumulations of ice on the edge of the roof and they mean BIG trouble for you and your home.

Ice dams result in water seepage, which can rot roofs, destroy insulation, and ruin gutters.

In poorly insulated homes, warm air escapes through the ceiling and into the attic. If ventilation inside the attic is also inadequate, all that warm air has nowhere to go. The roof’s temperature starts to creep up higher than the outdoors air temperature, causing accumulated snow on the roof to begin melting.

• The only way to permanently eradicate ice dams is not to warm your roof up but to actually cool it down with better insulation and attic ventilation. Any other strategy will provide only a temporary fix at best.
• Attic insulation should be at least 12” deep. Make sure it is installed correctly, without any gaps between sections, and in conjunction with a vapor barrier.
• Also, check around light fixtures, chimneys, bathroom fans, and anywhere else heat might escape upwards. If you discover small holes, seal them up with caulk, spray foam, or weather stripping.
• Evaluate your attic’s ventilation system. Are there adequate inlet and outlet vents? If not, look into installing a continuous soffit and ridge ventilation system.
• If you already have a ice damage, your best strategy is to sit tight and wait for the ice to melt away. Later you should focus on preventing future dams by making the improvements described above
• If you really, truly cannot stand just waiting until it melts on its own, cut the legs of of a pair of pantyhose, fill with calcium chloride ice melter and lie them down the slope of the roof so that each leg crosses a section of ice and the toes dangle over the edge of the gutter. This should melt small channels in the ice, allowing runoff to occur.

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Long-Term Savings Tip:
One of the most cost efficient ways to make your home more comfortable year round is to add insulation to your attic. To find out if you have enough attic insulation, measure the thickness of the insulation. If it is less than 7” of fiberglass or rock wool, or 6” of cellulose, you could probably benefit by adding more.

Tips for Sealing Air Leaks:
Caulk and weatherstrip doors and windows that leak air.

Caulk and seal air leaks where plumbing, ducting, or electrical wiring penetrates through exterior walls, floors, ceilings, and soffits over cabinets.

Install rubber gaskets behind outlet and switch plates on exterior walls.

Look for dirty spots in your insulation, which often indicates holes where air leaks into and out of your house. You can seal the holes by stapling sheets of plastic over the holes and caulking the edges of the plastic.

Install storm windows over single pane windows or replace them with double pane windows.

When the fireplace is not in use, keep the flue damper tightly closed. A chimney is designed specifically for smoke to escape, so until you close it, warm air escapes – 24 hours a day!

For new construction, reduce exterior wall leaks by either installing house wrap, taping the joints of exterior sheathing, or comprehensively caulking and sealing the exterior walls.

Percentage of areas that air escapes from:

• 31% from floors, walls, and ceiling
• 11% doors
• 15% ducts
• 10% windows
• 14% fireplace
• 2% electrical outlets
• 13% plumbing penetrations

It’s true that central units will use a lot more power than, say, a single window unit on each floor of a two-story dwelling. But if you have more than two rooms to cool, then your best bet is to go with a central unit, which also provides long term resale value and humidity control. “Well-designed central systems win out in terms of being able to filter the air for allergens and pollutants, and for controlling humidity.”

If humidity isn’t your problem, but you’d just like to cool your home, you could get away with one window unit on each floor, if your home is well insulated. Keep in mind that window units aren’t necessarily more energy efficient than central air units. A window unit that is too small to cool a room may run continuously, wasting energy. Central air units cool multiple rooms more quickly and filter out airborne particles-but they also use more power than window units. When you’re shopping for a central air conditioning system, make sure the SEER number (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio) is 13 or better.

If you’d rather go with window units, then consider these factors:

• Look for an EER (Energy Efficiency Ratio) of 11 or higher for room air conditioners. Today’s ACs use 30% – 50% less electricity than 10-year old models.
• Make sure your AC is sized properly. It is important to use the right size AC. Select a unit that removes an average of 20 BTUs per square foot of living space or higher.
• Clean your AC filter every month. A dirty filter makes your AC work harder, which uses more electricity. Regardless of the type or age of the unit, be sure to change filters after every 90 days of use.

You may have heard about Formaldehyde and Insulation –Many customers have asked us about formaldehyde in fiberglass insulation and what we think about our competitor’s promoting a “Formaldehyde-free” insulation.

From the time that fiberglass insulation was invented, manufacturers have used formaldehyde as a binder ingredient to help glue or bind the glass fibers together. A manufacturer is not promoting a formaldehyde free insulation which is a fiberglass insulation using a binder containing no formaldehyde. However, like all glass fiber insulation, formaldehyde free fiberglass insulation does contain trace amounts of formaldehyde, though less than traditional fiberglass insulation. These trace amounts do not present a health concern to you or to your indoor air quality and the environment.

In fact, these trace amounts of formaldehyde are all around us and not just in insulation. Paper towels, fabric softeners, cosmetics, paper money, apples, potatoes and yes….even beer!

So don’t be fooled by those manufacturers touting “Formaldehyde Free” insulation. Get the facts. Owens Corning continues to produce the best quality insulation in the world! Just ask any builder or look at the rankings. The 2006 Buyer’s Guide, Builder Magazine ranked Owens Corning first in “brand used most and highest quality rating”.

When summers get as hot as this one, it’s difficult to imagine what people did before air conditioning. Here is some information on figuring out how to most efficiently cool a home.

If you’ve gotten your latest electric bill, you may already suspect that Americans spend more than $22 billion a year on electricity to cool their homes with air conditioning. Continue Reading →

Tips for Installing Glass Block Windows

Did you ever want to add a distinctive visual appeal to your home? Consider glass block windows. They come in an array of glass patterns and colors and vents can be added for air circulation. These windows use natural and artificial light to produce beautiful dramatic effects. Best of all, they enhance the security of your home by turning a high-risk window into a safe secure window. Keep out unwanted views, energy-wasting drafts and uninvited guests. When it comes to building materials that are affordable, practical and decorative, nothing else comes close

Easy to Install

• Make sure your new window will fit properly. You will need a space of approximately 1/4th – 1″ all the way around the perimeter for mortar.
• Remove the window sash and then remove the window frame by bending the top and bottom in toward the center and remove all old mortar.
• Set the new window into place on top of 2 wedges. Check that it is plumb and level, then secure it with 2 edges at the top. If you are installing a vented window, the vent latch should be located on the inside at the top.
• Mix the mortar according to the instructions. Apply the mortar around the perimeter using a grout bag or a trowel. Make sure the joints are completely full.
• When the mortar begins to set remove the wedges, fill the holes and smooth the joints with a trowel and clean the glass with a cloth.
• When installing into wood frames, wall ties should be nailed into the frame prior to setting the window to give the mortar better grip.

Long-Term Saving Tip:

One of the most cost effective ways to make your home more comfortable year round is to add insulation to your attic. To find out if you have enough attic insulation, measure the thickness of the insulation. If it is less than 7″ of fiberglass or rock wool or 6″ of cellulose, you could probably benefit by adding more.

Tips for Sealing Air Leaks:

First, test your home for air tightness. On a windy day, hold a lit incense stick next to your windows, doors, electrical boxes, plumbing fixtures, electrical outlets, ceiling fixtures, attic hatches, and other locations where there is a possible air path to the outside. If the smoke stream travels horizontally, you have located an air leak that may need caulking, sealing or weatherstripping.

Continue Reading →

There are many ways to spruce up your bathroom without having to totally remodel. Just by changing a few items here and there can give your bathroom a refreshing updated new look.

Basco Shower Doors and Enclosures: Are classy, elegant and luxurious centerpieces for your bathroom. Framed or frameless / custom made – premium glass options with a variety of frame colors.

Bath Hardware by Moen: Towel rings, paper holders, towel bars, shower rods add a decorative touch. Classic beauty bath accessories with a creative touch, creates a timeless look that is uniquely your own.

Schulte Freedom Rail: Closet shelving is not just for bedrooms. Think bathroom and you’ll be adding lasting value of a truly adjustable storage system which gives your bathroom space and character. Think kitchen pantry, laundry room, garage – the possibilities are endless.

Mirrors: Custom cuts, beveled edges, etched or sandblasted designs, the possibilities of changing a plain old mirror into a truly one of a kind creation can go as far as your imagination.

All of these fine quality products are sold by Cambria Glass & Insulation.