Energy Saving Tips. Considered by some as a burden, the fact is you have to weatherize your home for the winter season. Getting your home ready for winter will
save energy, cut your expenses and help protect our enviornment by reducing our dependency on fossile fuels.
Here are some tips to assist in your winter home inspection.
WINDOWS AND DOORS:
Check windows and doors to prevent air from seeping into your home.
Checking for air gaps is done best on a windy day because you will be able to feel where the drafts are more easily. Light a few incense sticks and run them around door and window openings, watch the smoke trail and if there is a leak it will be real easy to spot.
A small 1/4" gap at the threshold of a door is equal to a 4" hole in the wall!
The rubber insert on thresholds tends to get hard and brittle with age and they tend to collapse so it may be time to replace it.. Most thresholds can simply be removed and a new rubber insert threaded in.
Don't overlook your wall outlets, its amazing how much outside air comes in around the openings.
Quick Fix: Install foam precut pads in behind the plates. Most all home building centers and hardware stores carry them.
Use a good quality caulking compound and seal up any cracks between the side walls of the house and the window frames.
Clean and lubricate the window frame channels, if there are any gaps you can seal with one of the many strip adhesive backed weatherstrip available at local home centers and hardware stores.
Clean gutters & downspouts.Check the gutter supports.
Exterior paint-check for peeling, holes, cracks,soft and rotten wood, chalking.
Check siding-hammer in nails that have popped, replace rusty nails with galvanized nails.
Caulk any leaks or cracks in basement walls and seal.
See that all doors and windows close & lock properly. Lubricate hinges and door locks.
Check the insulation of your house:
The majority of homes built before 1980 are under-insulated, A/C can escape through the ceiling, past the roof and into the atmosphere. As a general rule, if you have less than 11 to 12 inches of attic insulation, you probably need more.
The Addition of Hy-Tech Insulating Ceramics to your paint when repainting interior ceilings or walls will improve your insulations efficiency tremendously.
Exterior:
Look for any gaps that are around your house. Insulate around water pipes and also around the water heater. Any openings found around the outside of your home should be caulked. A can of spray insulating foam is a homeowners best friend. The foam is sprayed thru a small tube and expands once released. Walk around the exterior of your home and check around all wall penetrations, door and window openings etc. Insert the tube, give a short blast of foam remembering it will expand, how much depends on the brand you buy. After the foam sets you can shave off the excess that has oozed out with a utility knife and touch up with the appropiate paint.
Use the foam inside too, under sinks look for openings where the pipes come thru the wall, down in the basement you will find all kinds of holes where this foam can be used.
Vent blocks: Install vent blocks in the foundation vents under your home.
Lets go Inside now and see what needs to be done.
Check out my never ending list of Energy Saving Tips
These small inexpensive tips will save you Hundreds of dollars per year on your energy bills.
