Printable Version insulate insulation weather weatherize climate heater air conditioner "Did you know it's possible to save money, help the environment and increase your comfort level--all at the same time? By properly weatherizing your home, you'll create a more temperate living space by cutting down on drafts even as you slash energy use anywhere between 10 and 50 percent. That means significantly lower utility bills and reduced impact on the environment."

Did you know it's possible to save money, help the environment and increase your comfort level--all at the same time? By properly weatherizing your home, you'll create a more temperate living space by cutting down on drafts even as you slash energy use anywhere between 10 and 50 percent. That means significantly lower utility bills and reduced impact on the environment. Of course, weatherization requires time and often a little money. But you don't necessarily

have to mount storm windows or wrap your entire home in plastic. In fact, you can make a great deal of headway with a caulking gun and a few yards of weather stripping. We'll show you how to assess the current state of your home and take steps to improve its climate--and your comfort

Before you start the weatherization process, you need to assess your home's needs. Many local utility companies will come to your home and, either for free or for a nominal fee, conduct a thorough assessment of your home's insulation system. Some companies will even take an infrared photo on a cold winter's night, which will reveal exactly where your home is hemorrhaging heat. Likewise, they'll tell you how the summer heat is penetrating the cool refuge that is your home. If your utility company does provide this service, take advantage of it. In the meantime, learn the potential trouble spots for yourself. Some are obvious, but some you might never have considered. Here is a list, in order of importance:

Even a wall that looks airtight could be an energy sink. Do the touch test: walls, floors and ceilings that feel significantly colder or hotter than room temperature may need attention.

Sometimes heating vents actually suck warmth out of a room, while cooling vents blow in hot air during summer. If you have a central heating and/or cooling system, check all ducts and registers to ensure they are working for you, not against you.

When your fireplace is not in use, be sure the damper is closed, summer and winter alike

Sometimes pipes enter a house above ground. Walk around the perimeter of your house to see where pipes may penetrate outside walls. Perform the touch test in order to detect gaps between pipes and the wall around them.

Note: Be careful to avoid very hot pipes or ducts.

Gaps between a door and its frame are one of the biggest heat-loss offenders, and one of the easiest problems to fix.

Loose caulking and cracked panes are simple to repair and can make significant improvements. If the glass is cold to the touch in winter, or hot in the summer, you might want to consider a more insulated window system.

When built-in fans are installed (usually in kitchens and bathrooms), contractors often leave invisible gaps between the fan and the wall itself. Again, do the touch test around the edges of the fan to determine a little caulking might be in order. Now that you know where problems may lie, we'll present some potential solutions. Fine-tune your furnace and air-conditioning system Many people treat their furnaces and air conditioners like workhouses, neglecting them until they stop working altogether. Such treatment may be OK for plumbing and electrical systems, but heating and cooling systems need routine maintenance, just like a car.

At the very least, you need to replace the air filters in your air conditioners and furnace at the beginning of each season. Otherwise, warm or cool air will never make it past logged filters.

If you live in an extremely cold climate, you should also hire a professional to give your furnace an annual tune-up (in milder climates, biannual tune-ups may suffice). Air conditioners should get a tune-up every three years. The cost of the tune-up should easily pay for itself in the form of increased energy efficiency.

And don't stop at the furnace or air conditioner itself. Your system also includes the ducts and vents that actually deliver warm air where you want it. Beginning with your furnace or central air conditioner, trace the vents that lead to the various parts of your house (ducts usually hug the basement ceiling). Without actually touching the vents (which can be quite hot), feel for air leaks. (See Step 3 to find out how to seal them.) Next, identify all the heating and cooling vents in your house and make sure none is blocked by carpets, furniture or excessive dust. You might be spending big bucks heating or cooling the back of your Lazy Boy. Take care of the simple stuff Before going to great effort and expense, spend an afternoon on do-it yourself tasks. You don't have to be particularly handy to make a big dent in your heat-loss problem. Replace the filter in your furnace. This is the single simplest, most effective thing you could do to prevent heat loss. Most furnace filters are designed for easy removal and replacement. Look for a slot several inches wide and several feet high. The old filter should come out easily, and the new one should slide right in.

Caulk loose windowpanes, as well as any other cracks where outside air is entering your house, for example around wall fans and plumbing outlets (See Step 1 to find out where to look). Attach weather-stripping to the edges of windows and outside doors where outside air enters your house. Shut off rooms that aren't in use, and close heating and cooling vents. (Caution: Do not close off too many vents. You could overwork the furnace by forcing air through too few vents.) Hang heavy drapes over windows that are particularly subject to heat loss. It's an ancient practice, but it works surprisingly well.

Consider plastic heat barriers for windows. they look like the clear plastic that you might wrap a sandwich in, yet they have high insulation value because they create a pocket of dead air between themselves and the window. You simply tack or glue them up, then take hair dryer, which both removes wrinkles and shrinks the plastic so that it forms a seal window frame. Martha Stewart might not approve of the aesthetics, but it's a cheap alternative to storm windows.

Seal leaks in heating ducts with a special latex-based sealing compound available at most hardware stores. You just have to goop it on. (See Step 1 to find the ducts themselves.)