Weatherproof your home before Winter arrives!

If your house if older than 25 or 30 years old you probably have a few drafty doors or windows that seem to let that cold Winter air in.

Most homeowners are aware that air leaks into and out of their houses through small openings around doors and window frames and through fireplaces and chimneys. Air also enters the living space from other unheated parts of the house, such as attics, basements, or crawlspaces.

The air travels through:

any openings or cracks where two walls meet,
where the wall meets the ceiling, or near interior door frames;
gaps around electrical outlets,
switch boxes, and recessed fixtures;
gaps behind recessed cabinets
gaps around attic access hatches and pull-down stairs;
behind bath tubs and shower stall units;
plumbing, cable, and electrical wiring penetrations.

These leaks between the living space and other parts of the house are often much greater than the obvious leaks around windows and doors. Since many of these leakage paths are driven by the tendency for warm air to rise and cool air to fall, the attic is often the best place to stop them.

It's important to stop these leaks before adding attic insulation because the insulation may hide them and make them less accessible. Usually, the attic insulation itself will not stop these leaks and you won't save as much as you expect because of the air flowing through or around the insulation.

Older homes are likely to use more energy than newer homes, leading to higher heating and air- conditioning bills. If you add some inexpensive weatherproofing around those drafty doors and windows you could save some money this winter and have lower utility bills!

Why Pay to Heat the Whole House?

Autumn colors fill the countryside across much of our great continent. High School and College football games are a highlight for many this weekend. The cooler, crisp Autumn air is a welcome blessing for many of us.

As we strolled through the nursery of our local super retailer last night we ran across some Christmas decorations. In October! Yes, the major retailers are already stocking their shelves in eager anticipation of cooler weather and the wonderful Holiday season.

The near-perfect weather this weekend offers many of us the opportunity to get outside and check the caulking around our doors and windows. Today is a great time to seal off as many of those drafty air leaks where colder air might enter our home - or heated air might escape. Heated air that we will be paying dearly for this winter!

These beautiful days of Autumn might just be the best time to put up some plastic on our interior windows - especially on the north side of the house. Maybe add some nice, thick drapes to help eliminate the loss of warm air through leaky windows.

One idea we've been tossing around is how to section off the unused portion of our humble little house and shut the heating vents in those unused rooms. Why pay to heat the entire house when we only really use part of the house? Maybe order a little portable room heater and only heat the room(s) we are actually using?

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Luckily we can take some simple, inexpensive steps now to help keep those heating costs down this winter and have lower utility bills!

Add some insulation for lower utility bills

No matter where you live, your home will be more comfortable and cost less to heat and cool with the right insulation. That could mean more money in your pocket all year round.

Unless your home was designed with energy efficiency in mind, adding insulation can be a good way to save money. Most older homes were built without much insulation, which can mean high energy bills. Even if your home is new, more insulation can pay for itself in a few years and increase your home’s resale value.

The amount of insulation you need depends on the climate, the part of the house, and the type of heating and cooling systems (gas, oil, or electric) you have. Your attic is the best place to start. You can cut your heating costs this winter and have lower utility bills. Seal those doors and windows and add some insulation in your attic!

For more information about insulation, visit the Energy Savers website at www.energysavers.gov, or call 1-877-EERE-INF (1-877-337-3463).