Adding a Closet

Adding a Closet in the Corner of a Room

12"
Closet pole

32"
Bifold doors

Existing wall

Shim against ceiling

(Wall is underheight
so it can be raised)

901/2" 32"

16" 16" 16" 16" 16" 101/2" 16" 16"

RO width
RO height

452 STORAGE
Organizing Closets
A well-organized closet will hold twice the clothing
of an unorganized one. Reorganizing an existing closet
can be a one-day project using standard materials.
Home centers usually offer several lines of
modular, wire-frame systems, as well as whole books
on the subject. Below are several ideas for reorganiz-
ing your closets for either dual- or single-occupancy,
using standard bathroom drawer units, closet poles,
and shelving.
Note that vanity drawer units come in a variety
of widths, from 12 to 27 inches. Mix and match the
widths to fit your existing space.

Organizing Closets for One and Two Persons

ONE-PERSON CLOSETS

39"
12", 15", 12", 15",
96"

80"

75"

96"

80"

75"
18", 21", 18", 21",
24", 27" 24", 27"

36"
32"

TWO-PERSON CLOSETS

12", 15", 12", 15", 12", 15", 12", 15",

96"

80"

96"

80"

75"
75"

18", 21", 18", 21", 18", 21", 18", 21",

24", 27" 24", 27" 24", 27" 24", 27"
32"

32"

Organizing Closets 453

454
0 1 2 3 4 5

Heating 16
Americans have learned that energy supplies can no longer be taken for Building Heat Loads   456
granted. No longer is the heating system a neglected, mysterious object in Heating Climate Data   460
the nether regions of our homes that we try not to think about. Winter Heat Sources   462
comfort requires that we have the right type of heating system, properly
Distribution Systems   468
sized to the building heat load.
This chapter begins with a simple form for calculating heat loads, Fuels and Efficiencies   472

both for the coldest day of winter and for the entire winter. We supply Standard Fireplaces   474
the heating climate data specific to your location. Rumford Fireplaces   476
Next, you'll learn how the various heat sources and distribution systems Wood Stove Installation   478
work and the pros and cons of each.
Stovepipe Installation   480
Most of us have considered switching fuels at some time. Some of
us supplement our main heating systems with wood stoves. Fuels and Metal Prefabricated
Chimneys   481
Efficiencies gives you a simple method for comparing the cost per deliv-
ered Btu of all fuels and a chart that shows the fuel savings you can expect Meet the Code   484
if you install a more efficient system.
If you are going to have a fireplace anyway, why not make it as fuel-
efficient as possible? We show detailed, energy-efficient plans for both
standard fireplaces and the more efficient Rumford fireplaces.
For others, a wood stove is a more practical alternative to the fire-
place. Wood Stove Installation and Stovepipe Installation show the fire-
code requirements for stove and stovepipe clearances. It also shows how
to vent a wood stove into an existing fireplace.
If you don't already have a sound and safe masonry flue, the section
on metal prefabricated chimneys will be helpful, showing every detail of six
typical installations.
Finally, we provide you with a checklist to make sure you meet the
IRC code.

455
 Building Heat Loads
In designing a building and its equipment, we are
interested in two types of heat load (rate of heat loss):
Design Heat Load  This is the rate at which
heat is lost from the building in British thermal
units (Btu) per hour on that coldest night when
the outside temperature is at the design minimum
temperature (DMT) for the location. The number
is used to size the heating system.
Annual Heat Load  This is the annual heat
load, the total heat loss in Btu over the entire heat-
ing season. The quantity can be used to estimate the
annual heating bill in dollars.
Use the work sheet on the facing page to esti-
mate both of these loads for your home. A com-
pleted example work sheet follows on pp. 458-459.
Work Sheet Instructions
Line 1. Use line 1 if you have an unheated attic.
Find the R-value in Chapter 13, or use a value of 3.0
if the attic is totally uninsulated.
Line 2. Use line 2 if the ceiling is also the under-
side of the roof. Get the R-value from Chapter 13,
or use 3.0 if the roof is uninsulated.
Line 3. Get the wall R-values from Chapter 13, or
use 4.0 if the wall is uninsulated. If there are differ-
ent wall constructions, use a different line for each
type. Subtract window and door areas from each
wall section.
Line 4. The area of most exterior doors is
20 square feet. Use an R-value of 2.0 for solid wood
doors, 3.0 for a wood door plus storm door, and 6.0
for an insulated door.
Line 5. Window area is the area of the sash, not
just the glazing. A window’s R-value is simply
1/U, where U is the window’s U-value. Find your
windows’ U-values from the very complete table of
tested U-values on p. 285.
Line 6. Use this line if your home, or a portion
of it, sits on piers or over a ventilated crawl space.
Get the floor R-values from Chapter 13, or use 5.0
if the floor is uninsulated.
456 HEATING
Line 7. Use this line if your home sits on a
concrete slab. Use an R-value of 20 if the slab is
uninsulated. Add the insulation R-value as shown
on p. 381 if it is insulated.
Line 8. Use this line if your home has a basement.
Use an R-value of 5.0 if the foundation is uninsu-
lated. Add the insulation R-value (from Chapter 13)
if the walls are insulated.
Line 9. For air changes per hour, use 1.5 for an
older drafty house, 0.75 for a typical 10- to 30-year-
old house, 0.50 for an average new house, and 0.25
for a new “green” or "energy-efficient" house. Heated
volume is 8× the heated floor area.
Line 10. Add up all of the numbers appearing in
the right-hand column above this line.
Line 11. First enter the sum from line 10. Next
enter 65 minus the design minimum temperature
(DMT 97.5%) from the table on p. 460. Multiply
the entries and enter the result in the right column.
Your heating contractor can use this result to prop-
erly size your heating system.
Line 12. Enter the sum from line 10. Next find
heating degree-days, base 65°F (HDD 65), from
either the table of climate data on p. 460 or the map
on page 461. Multiply the entries. The result is the
total annual heat loss.
To estimate the amount of fuel used, divide this
number by 100,000 for gallons of oil; 70,000 per
hundred cubic feet of gas; 3,410 for kilowatt-hours
(kwhr) of electric-resistance heat; and 6,830 for an
electric heat pump. (You will see how to adjust for
other heating system efficiencies on p. 472.)
HDD 65 is used with the assumption that the
house requires heat when the daily average outdoor
temperature drops below 65°F. If your house gener-
ates a lot of internal heat, or retains internal heat
gains well, the heat may not come on until the
outdoor temperature drops to 55°F, for example. In
that case, use HDD 55 from the table.
Work Sheet for Heat Loads
Surface Area, sq ft ÷ R-value = Result

1. Ceiling under attic #1 ÷ =

Ceiling under attic #2 ÷ =
2. Cathedral ceiling or roof #1 ÷ =
Cathedral ceiling or roof #2 ÷ =
3. Exterior wall #1 ÷ =
Exterior wall #2 ÷ =
Exterior wall #3 ÷ =
Exterior wall #4 ÷ =
Exterior wall #5 ÷ =
Exterior wall #6 ÷ =
4. Exterior door #1 ÷ =
Exterior door #2 ÷ =
Exterior door #3 ÷ =
5. Window type #1 ÷ =
Window type #2 ÷ =
Window type #3 ÷ =
Window type #4 ÷ =
6. Floor over crawl space ÷ =
7. Slab on-grade ÷ =
8. Foundation wall ÷ =
9. Air changes per hour x 0.018 x heated volume in cu ft =
10. Sum of results of all lines above =
11. Design heat load: Line 10 × (65ºF−DMT) = Btu/hr

12. Annual heat load: Line 10 × 24 × HDD65 = Btu/yr

Building Heat Loads 457

 The facing page contains an example work sheet
showing the calculations for design heat load and
annual heat load for a small house in Boston,
Massachusetts, shown below.
The house is deliberately kept simple in order to
clarify the calculations. Many homes will have more
than one type of exterior wall, foundation, or window,
and they will require multiple entries for these items.
Line 1. The ceiling measures 30 by 40 feet, so
its area is 1,200 square feet. Chapter 13 gives an
R-value of 35.5 for its two R-19 batts.
Line 3. After the areas of windows and doors are
deducted, the remaining area of exterior wall is 996
square feet. The 2×6 wall with R-19 batts has an
R-value of 17.2.
Line 4. The first exterior door is solid wood with
storm and has a combined R-value of 3.0. The sec-
ond has an insulated core and R-value of 6.0.
Line 5. All of the windows are double glazed with-
out storm windows (total R-value of 2.0). The total
area of window sash is 84 square feet.
Example House for Heat Load Calculation
Window (8):
area = 10.5 sq ft
R-value = 2.0
8'
30'
458 HEATING
Line 6. The house sits on a crawl space that is
ventilated in winter and is insulated with R-19 batts
between the joists. Chapter 13 gives this type of
floor an R-value of 20.9.
Line 9. The house is a recently built tract home, so
its air change rate is about 0.50 changes per hour.
The heated volume is the floor area times the ceiling
height, 8 feet.
Line 10. The sum of all of the results in the right-
hand column is 287.5.
Line 11. From the table following the example
work sheet, DMT 97.5% is 9°F for Boston. The
result for this line is a design heat load at 9°F of
16,100 Btu per hour.
Line 12. From the same table, for Boston the
HDD 65 is 5,630. The result of multiplying the
three numbers on line 12 is the annual heat load:
38,847,000 Btu.
If the house were heated with oil, the approxi-
mate winter fuel consumption would be the annual
heat load divided by 100,000, or 388 gallons of oil.
Door 1:
area = 40 sq ft
R-value = 3.0
Door 2:
area = 40 sq ft
R-value = 6.0
40'
Volume of heated space = 9,600 cu ft
Air exchange rate = 0.5 changes per hour
Work Sheet for Heat Loads
Surface Area, sq ft ÷ R-value = Result

1. Ceiling under attic #1 1,200 ÷ 35.5 = 33.8

Ceiling under attic #2 ÷ =

2. Cathedral ceiling or roof #1 ÷ =
Cathedral ceiling or roof #2 ÷ =
3. Exterior wall #1 996 ÷ 17.2 = 57.9

Exterior wall #2 ÷ =
Exterior wall #3 ÷ =
Exterior wall #4 ÷ =
Exterior wall #5 ÷ =
Exterior wall #6 ÷ =
4. Exterior door #1 20 ÷ 3.0 = 6.7

Exterior door #2 20 ÷ 6.0 = 3.3

Exterior door #3 ÷ =
5. Window type #1 84 ÷ 2.0 = 42.0

Window type #2 ÷ =
Window type #3 ÷ =
Window type #4 ÷ =
6. Floor over crawl space 1,200 ÷ 20.9 = 57.4

7. Slab on-grade ÷ =
8. Foundation wall ÷ =
9. Air changes per hr 0.50 x 0.018 x heated volume in cu ft 9,600 = 86.4

10. Sum of results of all lines above = 287.5

11. Design heat load: Line 10 287.5 × 56 (65ºF−DMT) = 16,100 Btu/hr

12. Annual heat load: Line 10 287.5 × 24 × 5,630 HDD65 = 38,847,000 Btu/yr

Building Heat Loads 459

 Heating Climate Data
Climate Data for North American Cities
City DMT97.5% HDD55 HDD65 City DMT97.5% HDD55 HDD65
Alabama, Birmingham 21 1,293 2,823 Nevada, Reno 11 3,086 5,600
Alaska, Fairbanks -47 10,836 13,980 New Hampshire, Concord -3 4,858 7,478
Alaska, Juneau 1 5,154 8,574 New Jersey, Newark 14 2,727 4,843
Arizona, Flagstaff 4 5,185 8,340 New Mexico, Albuquerque 16 2,277 4,281
Arizona, Phoenix 34 174 1,125 New Mexico, Santa Fe 10 3,593 6,073
Arkansas, Little Rock 20 1,512 3,084 New York, New York City 15 2,659 4,754
California, Los Angeles 43 88 1,274 New York, Syracuse 2 4,172 6,803
Colorado, Denver 1 3,701 6,128 North Carolina, Greensboro 18 1,972 3,848
Colorado, Fort Collins -4 3,734 6,238 North Dakota, Bismarck -19 6,157 8,802
Connecticut, Hartford 7 3,772 6,121 Ohio, Columbus 5 3,356 5,492
Delaware, Wilmington 14 2,774 4,888 Oklahoma, Tulsa 13 1,957 3,642
DC, Washington 17 2,869 5,010 Oregon, Bend 4 4,058 7,042
Florida, Miami 47 16 149 Oregon, Salem 23 2,175 4,784
Florida, Orlando 38 121 580 Pennsylvania, Philadelphia 14 2,687 4,759
Georgia, Atlanta 22 1,289 2,827 Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh 5 3,545 5,829
Idaho, Boise 10 3,370 5,727 Rhode Island, Providence 9 3,397 5,754
Illinois, Chicago 0 3,861 6,083 South Carolina, Columbia 24 1,127 2,594
Indiana, Indianapolis 2 3,389 5,521 South Dakota, Rapid City -7 4,679 7,211
Iowa, Des Moines -5 4,206 6,436 Tennessee, Nashville 14 1,914 3,677
Kansas, Topeka 4 3,175 5,225 Texas, Austin 28 614 1,648
Kentucky, Louisville 10 2,451 4,352 Texas, Brownsville 39 150 644
Louisiana, Baton Rouge 29 602 1,689 Texas, Dallas 22 943 2,290
Maine, Caribou -13 6,638 9,560 Texas, Houston 33 532 1,528
Maine, Portland -1 4,637 7,318 Utah, Salt Lake City 8 3,299 5,631
Maryland, Baltimore 13 2,007 3,807 Vermont, Burlington -7 5,091 7,665
Massachusetts, Boston 9 3,299 5,630 Virginia, Norfolk 22 1,608 3,368
Massachusetts, Springfield 0 3,754 6,104 Virginia, Richmond 17 2,021 3,919
Michigan, Detroit 6 3,657 5,898 Washington, Seattle 26 2,112 4,797
Michigan, Sault Ste. Marie -12 6,262 9,224 West Virginia, Charleston 11 2,584 4,644
Minnesota, Duluth -16 6,816 9,724 Wisconsin, Madison -7 4,993 7,493
Minnesota, Int’l Falls -25 7,422 10,269 Wyoming, Casper -5 4,898 7,571
Mississippi, Jackson 25 1,027 2,401 Alberta, Edmonton -25 7,563 10,650
Missouri, St. Louis 6 2,830 4,758 British Columbia, Vancouver 19' 2,781 5,588
Montana, Great Falls -15 4,932 7,828 Manitoba, Winnipeg -27 8,062 10,790
Montana, Missoula -6 4,795 7,622 Nova Scotia, Halifax 5 4,500 7,211
Nebraska, North Platte -4 4,361 6,766 Ontario, Ottawa -13 5,965 8,529
Nevada, Las Vegas 28 832 2,239 Quebec, Quebec City -14 8,308 11,376

460 HEATING
 Heating Degree Days, Base 65ºF

Heating Climate Data

461