Maintenance of the DIY solar thermal collector

Getter and repaired

Hello dear readers, I do not know in your area, but here in northern Spain we have had a February 2017 very very windy, with gusts over 100 km / h  (some kind of cyclogenesis ), so strong that it removed literally one of the panels of cellular polycarbonate, and after the noise we heard, we have found, pushed by the wind literally against a tree!

So light it is (1 cm wide and 1 mm wall), who knows where we have found it if the tree was not in the middle of his path. Even it had a brown mark, a sign that before it arrived there, it hit the tiles of the house, partially breaking it.

But this would not have happened if the panels had been properly anchored, and better protected from the wind. On the one hand, the wood of extreme suffering the ravages of rain, rotting it, it should put more sheltered. And secondly, the screws that secured panels only the timber were fastened, when should having crossed and fastened to the rigid metal under it much safer.

How to improve the insulation of your glass windows for very little money

Polycarbonate window insulation applied

Surely with the crisis many people can not change their simple windows to double due to budget for insulation (although there are fewer homes without this basic insulation, but any Hayles), but using imagination and available materials as we did last time we can use cellular polycarbonateand achieve a thermal and sound insulation than a double window glass for only 15 € in materials , without changing anything in the long window and when we care not to lose sight (or want to make it translucent with image faded ), and we are careful to clean it (is easily scratched).

Have been discussed in this post virtues and multiple uses of cellular polycarbonate, very appropriate because the way network makes it more resistant while creating small air chambers that increase the insulation . Here is a catalog Resopal .

How to isolate thermally and acoustically your home in a simple and economical way

Insulating materials; extruded polystyrene foam in rolls

As discussed earlier in this blog, isolate housing is one of the best investments you can make today , for welfare, economy and health. 
In most of the houses in Spain and all over the world waste an incredible amount of heat due to their poor insulation; a well insulated house is heated with very little energy and keeps the temperature better. 

Most of the heat loss is caused by roofs (especially if they are lowered with insulation) first, then finally the walls and the floor, in that order. 
In this post we will see a way to isolate (isolating ceilings from acoustic and heat , so as not to be disturbed by neighbors with noise, and save energy) and also you will see how to thermally insulate a wall inside losing only between 3 and 4 cms. 

Insulation options 

Earlier we saw that it is best to fill the air chambers with a durable and inexpensive insulation and treated injectable cellulose with borax salts (the cheapest and currently effective), but sometimes there is no air space so we have to apply insulation in the interior sided, reducing some space in the local, but earning much economy, comfort and welfare, as discussed below. 

When deciding on one or other insulators we have multiple options for different needs and different prices; generally good thermal insulation is not as good sound insulation and vice versa. After evaluating different options the best choice in terms of price and effectiveness is a thermal and acoustic mixed solution. 
Thermal insulation work by limiting air movement in some way to slow heat transfer as much as possible. 
Best acoustic insulating materials are flexible (rubber and the like) that absorb noise to muffle it, and also tend to have good thermal properties. Flexible materials with air chambers inside are also good sound insulation. 

• We chose extruded polystyrene thermal insulation that is less expensive than other materials (such as fiberglass or rock wool), with very good thermal insulation and acoustic insulation to keep in mind; about 3 € grilled 1200x600 of chovafoam M30 3 cm thick (without intent to advertise, have been acquired in Leroy Merlin ). Durability (over 100 years), strength and lightness are further advantages that will enable us to place the battens directly over the insulation.
• Another option to consider (but I have not seen in Leroy) are wooden fibreboard , economic and good thermal and acoustic insulation, which usually come treated with flame retardants to slow combustion.
• And acoustic insulation for its price, effectiveness and lightness we chose sponge rolls, 2 inches thick, place them between the plasterboard and thermal insulation.
• If we have very limited budget, it is best to use rock wool or glass in rolls; has good water permeability, are nonflammable (hold up to 1000 ° C), and reduces both thermal transfer and sound, giving very good results in most cases.
• If you have a very, very limited budget, and acoustic insulation we can use pieces of mattress, rubber, cotton or even old clothes like ... look at the Wikipedia options.
• In this page we have a very good relationship of thermal insulators options and recommendations.