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re: adequate insulation--landlords responsible?
15 feb 2000
a ferszt wrote:
>good, thick, lined curtains are great insulators...
not so good as you'd imagine. they make windows feel warmer, blocking
radiant heat loss, but they aren't "great insulation," since they are
thin compared to real insulation and usually have gaps at the top and
bottom that allow air to flow down inside and out. if you are feeling
arithmetical sometime, try calculating the effect of 1/2" gaps at the
top and bottom of a 4'x6' r2 window with a 1/2" thick r2(?) curtain
when it's 70 f indoors and 30 f outdoors, vs the r4 theoretical max.
>bookcases filled with books are great insulators and should
>always be placed on the outside walls.
also not great, r2 maybe, if they were caulked smack against an outside
wall, not much compared to an r20 house wall. the books themselves aren't
bad, maybe r2 per inch, but they have gaps above them, and room air can
slide down behind the bookshelves, and sometimes covers the cold wall
behind them with condensation and mildew.
>wall hangings, wall quilts and decorative fake oriental
>carpets (very thin and flexible) are good insulators if the
>tenant is allowed to hang anything on the walls.
alas, again nearly useless as insulation, compared to a good house wall.
more useful in castles with very cold stone walls.
>decorative rugs on top of the wall-to-wall carpeting add insulation.
altho warm air rises. you might do better festooning or nailing these
up under the ceiling, with a coat of decorative stucco. ("you must be
mistaken. this apartment had a vaulted ceiling when i moved in.")
nick
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