In these days of high energy bills, it's imperative that all homeowners take the time to inspect their home insulation. There are several different areas that need to be addressed, one is air leakage around windows, doors, plumbing fixtures, attics, and basements. The other is adding more insulation to your attic, floor, or walls to stop the heat from passing directly through those parts of your home.
Start By Looking For Leaks Around Doors And Windows
You might have noticed on windy days how your curtains move with every gust of wind, or how you can feel the breeze coming from around your door. You need to take a careful look at the seals around each to determine which kind of weatherstripping is needed to block the flow.
Many kinds of weatherstripping are very inexpensive to buy and only take a few minutes to apply. You can many times open your window and apply the "peel and stick" type of weatherstripping in just a couple of minutes, then close the window and feel the difference right away.
The same goes with the weatherstripping around your door. Many doors don't fit snuggly and there is a noticeable gap between the door and its frame. You'll need to find a type of weatherstripping that fills that gap and blocks the flow of air from coming through. Most of the time it's only a 10-minute job to take care of the problem.
When It Comes To Insulation, It Can Be A Big Job
Ceilings and attics are a huge area of concern for most homes because hot air rises and if your ceiling is cold you'll lose a lot of energy there. Take a look into your attic to see how much insulation is already there. If you have none, you have your work cut out for you.
The easiest insulation to install is fiberglass rolls that fit between the ceiling joists on the floor of the attic. You'll need to measure the distance between the joists and then figure out how many linear feet you'll need to cover the whole attic. It might be quite a bit but insulation goes on sale often and is a good investment with a quick payback. Once you've brought the insulation home it's an easy job to unroll it, slide it into the spaces and you're done.
Insulating your home is one of the fastest paybacks you can get when it comes to your heat bills. Weatherstripping is also a quick payback and very easy for almost anyone to do. Once you've tightened up your home, you should feel far fewer breezes blowing through on cold days and your heat bills will also be quite a bit lower as well. Check the insulation contractor website for more information and any needed help.
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