Heating Options for Bay Area, CA

11 years ago

I have a 1,900 square foot single story home built 3 blocks from the San Francisco Bay in former marsh land. In the winter, it can get down to 28-30 degrees for 2 to 3 weeks. My house is always cold in the winter and in the summer it only gets hot enough for me to want air conditioning for 2 weeks out of the year. It gets extremely humid inside the house whenever it rains.

I currently have a wall unit a/c that I have never used in the 11 years that I have lived here. I don't like running the furnace because it's just me and my dogs in the house and it doesn't make sense for me to heat the whole house when I can only be in one room at a time. I've used portable radiant oil heaters to warm up my bedroom and office/spare bedroom.

There is a wood fireplace in the living room that I don't use and a wood stove in the family room that's adjacent to the kitchen. I have never managed to get the wood stove to work.

Contractor has told me that I need to shore up the floors in order to lay down tile. I forget the exact terminology that he used but he phrased it "there was alot of experimenting in construction during the 70s". My house was built in 1968. He said that most floor joist are spaced every 2 feet and my floors are spaced every 4 feet. I don't plan on selling this house anytime soon and need advice on the best way to heat my house. Here are my questions:

1) Should I convert both the wood stove and the wood burning fire place to gas or just 1 of them?

2) I was thinking of installing radiant flooring in the family room and the great room and the entrance way. For continuity sake, contractor is suggesting I also install tile in the hallways. Should I put radiant flooring in the hallways and bathrooms too?

3) Would I need the radiant flooring if I have the gas fireplace insert?

4) Should I remove the ugly wall unit AC in the living room and just install ceiling fans? Remember, it only gets hot enough for A/C 2 weeks out of the year.

5) Should I install a sump pump under the house to solve humidity issues inside the house when it rains or get a humidifier?

Thank you!

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Comments (4)

callights
11 years ago
If your floor joists are 2' on center, I'd be wary of installing ceramic tile over them without adding some structure. If the floor moves too much, the tile will crack. But that's a conversation for you and your contractor.

Your contractor is correct that there was a lot of experimentation then. You may find asbestos in the flooring materials. It's best to let sleeping dogs lie... as they say.

Properly zoned radiant heat is by far the most comfortable and efficient form of heat. It's also by far the most expensive to install. Either you'll be installing electric "mats" under your new flooring (which are expensive to run, especially in CA), or you'll be installing a hot water boiler and radiant pipes in the floor (which are expensive to install). You will also have to move out of your house while it is being installed.

I don't see any real reason to install radiant in your bathrooms and hallways, but it will be more comfortable if you do.

I would start by replacing your fireplace and wood stove with wood pellet stoves. They are relatively cheap, they are dirt cheap to run, they run on a renewable resource, and they are as easy to start as flipping a switch. Some models can also be controlled by thermostats.

Then, I would install ceiling fans. Again, a cheap solution.

If you're still unhappy with your climate control after a year, you can discuss adding radiant, but keep your wood stoves and ceiling fans.
Kninefostermom
Original Author
11 years ago
Callights,

Unfortunately the Bay Area Air Quality Board (BAARQB) dictates when we can burn wood and wood pellet stoves and they always seem to ban it on the coldest days.

I need to replace the floor in my great room and if I was to do radiant heating, then that would be the time to do it. So I don't think I have a year to decide on that. Per contractor's suggestion, I will be shoring up the floors to put in the tile so that the tile won't buckle/crack. I have to put tile down because it's dog proof to their nails and accidents.

But I appreciate your insight on the wood pellet stove. I can see if I can convert or replace the wood stove in the family room to pellet to use when the BAAQB allows it and get the gas fireplace insert for the living room. That way I think I can have the best of both worlds in terms of cost of heat source.

I will most definitely put in more ceiling fans.

Thank you! Anymore suggestions?
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callights
11 years ago
I thought EPA-rated pellet stoves were exempt from spare-the-air days? At least they were when I lived in the Bay.

If you're tearing up the floor anyway, by all means install radiant heat. There's literally nothing better.
callights
11 years ago
One more thing: you shouldn't have moisture problems IN your house after the new floor goes in. Your contractor should be installing proper insulation and a vapor barrier. In fact, that might be a reason to do all of the floors.

Just make sure your contractor confirms that there is proper ventilation around the outside of your crawl space so you don't get mold down there.