Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-09-06
INSULATION Of WALLS
LATEST BUILDING FAD
Modern Homes Built to Resist
Changes in Temperature
Out Of Doors.

SUS W OVVt d
| One OF the foremost questions con-
| fronting the owner and builder OF dwell
! ings. whether they intend to live therein
| themselves or rs-at them. is that of heat
| ing. This is especially the case in north
ern climates.
| In climate Ike this our dwellings
must be built in such way that sudden
| changes of temperature outside will af-
feet the inside with sufficient slowness
| that the heating plant may properly take
| care Of the change without too much Of
a shock to the Inhabitants This is not
SO much a question Of the make Of the
boiler or the system of the heating as 1t
is of the construction of tho outside
walls No matter how efficient the heat
ing plant may be, If the walls are not
constructed in the most improved man
ner that plant cannot satisfactorily do
| the work that is put upon it.
Save Half the Fuel Bill.
| There is only one way to overcome
| once and for all the many heating diff
| culties. That is to erect what are known
as insulated" or "heat-proof' walls
Many architects appreciate this fact and
specify some efficient insulation to be
used in the construction. The house that
| Is properly insulated in its outside wall
construction will require the consump-
| ton of little more than half the fuel to
keep 1t at the same temperature con-
stantly as the house built and furnished
| in exactly the same manner, except for
| the insulation.
For years no building paper was ever
| used, but as the science of building ad-
vanced red resins and tarred felts came
into more or less general use. Their OBJ
| ject is to keep the house warmer by
covering cracks, thus protecting against
cold winds. Evidently they will accom-
plish such object II they remain intact
| and completely cover the walls.
1t is only natural that the more ad
vanced architects, engineers. contractors
| and owners are turning their attention to
| thorough insulation as a solution of the
| problem OF maintaining an even tempera
| ture on the inside Of the dwellings with
| a minimum consumption of fuel. They
| appreciate the worth of building papers
and back-plaster. especially for prevent
| Ing. cold winds blowing into the house,
| ity Of temperature Of refrigerator railway
| cars, they argue that the walls and floors
| of residences should be insulated with
| special care. Such insulation pays.
An interesting test was recently made
| in Minneapolis to determine the saving
| in fuel Of heating insulated dwellings.
Several houses were built under as near
ly the same conditions as possible except
that In their wall construction some had
the same insulating quilts that are used
| In the cold-storage trade, and the others
the usual tarred felts. Careful records
were kept OF the fuel consumption The
oimerence between the insulated houses
and the uninsulated ran all the way from
70 per cent to 40 per cent in fuel con-
sumption, maintaining the same tempera-
ture on the inside Of each
Insulation Cost insignificant.
The next question was that Of expense
To the great surprise of the investi-
gators. it was found that the additional
cost Of insulating quilt over red rosin
or tarred felts was less than $50 on the
ordinary house. and rarely over 500 in
the largest residences. The saving in
the iuel was however. SO great that this
addltiOnal expense was recovered in two
ways; first, the heating plant could be
materially reduced in size and cost with
out in any way jeopardizing it's ability
to properly warm the house; secondly.
the saving in fuel. even If the plant were
not reduced in size, would cover this
additional cost of insulation in from two
to four years, depending upon material
used and the climate in which the house
stood.
In climates of long winters and COM
say that cost of insulation is recovered
In from two to three years if the size
OF the heating plant is not reduced Yet
the heating plant can be reduced safely
ID per cent to 20 per cent, thus at the
| outset saving almost the entire cost of
| the extra insulation. Indeed, the smaller
plant In the insulated house will furnish
the heat necessary with q good deal
greater facility than the larger plant in
the uninSulated house, for the sudden
4 n af,rro will 1ool ,er1,
to the inside SO very slowly that the
plant is taxed not at all to counterfeit
the scarcely perceptible, slowly leaking
in cold.
No mention is made above Of the cold
that comes through the windows. At
first this was thought to be the greater
part of the total cold coming through the
| walls. But careful tests made by the
American Society of Heating and Vent-
lating Engineers. and since substantiated
by the American Society of Refrigerating
Engineers, shows that in the ordinary
residence constructed without insulating
quilt. but with a Windtight wall, only
about 40 per cent of the heat is lost
| through the windows if single windows
are used the balance, or 90 per cent, be-
ing lost through the rest Of the walls,
although windtight. AS this 60 per cent
is the portion that Is reduced by the use
of insulating quilt. the majority of the
| heat lost through the walls of the insu-
lated house is lost through the windows.
In fact, II a quarterback insulating quilt
| of the most efficient character is used in
the ordinary frame or plaster-veneer resi-
dence, SO very little heat will be lost
through the rest of the walls that the
| total Is reduced from 100 units to- prob
| ably, fifty units, or SO per cent saving.
Houses Sell or Rent Better.
| 1t will pay every carpenter and builder,
| whether he builds for hisN own use or for
others, to insist on some form of insula-
ton in his wall construction. Such
house is naturally a more desirable rent
| ing property or selling proposition than
the residence unprotected against sum-
mer heat winter cold and requiring a
| much larger consumption of fuel to keep