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Likewise it's a fact that you shouldn't have any windows in your house, because it's just cutting an - at best - R-5 hole in an R-20 wall. Funny thing is, very few people are willing to do that.
So if you live in a very hot climate where A/C is the primary load, you want to insulate the heck out of your house, and additional measures like reflective roofs, radiant barriers and other methods of keeping your attic cool will ALL do you some good.
Right.
But here's the deal... If you're going to be replacing your shingles anyway, replace them with light colored ones. If you're going to be building a shed with steel siding and roof, use white. But your return on investment will never be enough to justify going out and just replacing an existing roof.
You're also right about windows, and their lack of efficiency. There are, however, a LOT of variables with windows. If you cannot replace old windows with high-quality low-E windows, be sure you have storm windows, use seasonal caulk and/or sealing plastic. Your window treatments also can make a difference.
And if you live in a flat roofed adobe hut in an area bordering the Sahara and live on a dollar a day, a cheap can of whitewash shared with the neighbours is a far more viable solution than expensive high-tech insulation.
Ummmm... Those folks don't live in that type of dwelling. And where would they get a can of whitewash?
Ummmm... Those folks don't live in that type of dwelling. And where would they get a can of whitewash?
Ummmm....those folks live in structures built of sand/mud etc, much like adobe. Natural desert materials tend to be the same around the world, as are the benefits -cooler during the day, releasing the warmth during the night to combat desert cold.
"Adobe is a natural building material made from sand, clay, and water, with some kind of fibrous or organic material (sticks, straw, dung), which is shaped into bricks using frames and dried in the sun. It is similar to cob and mudbrick. Adobe structures are extremely durable and account for some of the oldest extant buildings on the planet. In hot climates, compared to wooden buildings, adobe buildings offer significant advantages due to their greater thermal mass, but they are known to be particularly susceptible to seismic damage in an event such as an earthquake.[citation needed]
Buildings made of sun-dried earth are common in the Middle East, North Africa, South America, southwestern North America, and in Spain"
I've been communities on the edge of the sahara. Have you? Surprisingly enough they also have access to paint. Also fabrics, bottled water, cell phones and a whole host of other items.
thanks anthonyb,
omaha doesn't rock - he or she, is (now fill in the blank, everybody - here).
my final color tonight, yellow was broken.
look at the pretty colors.
nite
all
The hallmark of an obstinate dogmatic person is that they never change their views on any issue of substance.
To be open-minded is to embrace contrary evidence and points of view. To learn is to be willing to have your mind enlightened by new information.
To choose a side and stay there is the pinnacle of intransigence. It's sad that "changing one's mind" is viewed by the voting public with such contempt. Flip-flopping for the sake of trying to please different groups is perverse and has nothing to do with the quality of having a supple and teachable mind.
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