With the rising cost of consumer utilities hitting homeowners more and more, people are looking for tips to save on heating energy bill costs.
Weatherizing one’s home is a great way that a homeowner can save money during all four seasons. However, DIY weatherizing does depend on regular maintenance. Here’s how you can get started weatherizing your home.
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Tackling the Easiest First
The windows and doors of a home are two of the biggest areas where heat is lost. Both have very little insulation between their seams, and on the surface when it comes to windows. So, adding simple additional features can have a tremendous effect on the amount of heat that is lost through these portals.
When it comes to windows, using temperature-resistant film can block the transfer of heat through the glass. Even simpler, using heavy drapes over the windows helps too. When the sun goes down, the closed drapes will help block the heat from leaving the home through the window pane. When the sun is up, open the drapes to let the heat in.
Doors can be made more secure by adding insulation strips, otherwise known as weatherstripping, between the door and the frame. This closes the gap of air that can travel between the small spaces. A tremendous amount of heat can be saved and kept inside the home instead of squeezing out and the cold squeezing in via door edges. There are also inserts available that can be slid underneath the door, to block out drafts and prevent heat from escaping.
Beef Up the Insulation in Other Parts of the Home
Insulation typically breaks down in both the attic and the walls over time. The wall insulation can start to fall due to time or the elements, which then can create air gaps as well as a breathing hazard. Those air gaps can allow the warm air in your home to escape. By having the insulation reinstalled with expanding foam injection, the wall insulation of a home can be restored, increasing the ability to prevent loss of heat as well as keep the cold outside.
The same goes for the attic overhead. This area tends to lose its effectiveness too. By relayering the attic with new insulation, the heat that transfers and goes up towards the ceiling can be effectively trapped inside the home and not lost.
Watch Out for Ductwork Failure
Another area that a homeowner can weatherize is HVAC ductwork, for the heating system. With newer homes, the ductwork tends to be a plastic wrap type channel that can easily tear. So, a homeowner should make sure to do regular visual inspections. The ductwork should be completely attached and should have no holes in the channels.
With older ductwork – which can be a combination of tubing as well as metal ductwork – some areas can become corroded due to moisture or humidity in the air. Where there is corrosion causing structural failure, the ductwork should be replaced.
Maintenance Helps Keep a Heating System Efficient
Poorly operating heating systems waste money with high energy costs and little output. Weatherizing and maintaining a system on a regular basis can keep it running efficiently and minimize breakdowns – this is especially during the deepest, coldest part of winter! Changing the filter regularly allows the heater to run smoother instead of working harder. Maintenance checks can also spot small repair needs, which can be fixed and keep the system running smoothly as opposed to struggling.
Heating costs aren’t going to be lowered anytime soon, so being a proactive homeowner that keeps your home weatherized, you can save plenty of money over time.
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