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With energy costs getting higher every day, new homes are being built with efficient designs and features to help keep heating and cooling expenses under control. But what if a new home isn’t in your future and a major energy-saving renovation (like new windows) is still a few years away? There are still a number of small, quick and inexpensive projects that can improve the energy efficiency of your older home and help keep those energy costs down.
Improve Energy Efficiency
One of the easiest ways to keep your energy bills under control is to find and seal drafty areas of your home where cold air can sneak in during the winter or out during the summer. If you have an extremely drafty room it can be almost the same as leaving a window partly open – and no one wants to pay good money to heat or cool the great outdoors.
But before you can block the drafts, you need to be able to find them. There are a couple of different ways to detect drafts in your home. One is to hire a professional to come in with an infrared detector to find all the trouble spots, but it’s often just as effective to do it yourself with an inexpensive draft detector. A basic draft detector uses a non-toxic smoke that allows you to easily identify where air is entering or leaving your home.
As you go through your home, make sure you map out where you’re losing heat so you don’t forget any spots when it’s time to seal them. Some common areas to check are around doors and windows, baseboards, outlets and switch plates. Once you’ve found the drafty areas of your home and mapped them out, it’s time to decide how to block them.
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Caulking:
Caulking or sealant can be the easiest way to seal around door and window frames, baseboards and other moulding. Depending on the type you choose, you can also protect your home against water and moisture infiltration, as well as air. Note: Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions for applying caulking to ensure a sturdy, long-lasting seal.
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Weather Stripping:
These are foam strips which can be used to fill gaps between doors or windows and frames which can form over time as your home shifts and settles. Weather stripping is available in a variety of thicknesses to fit varying size gaps and is frequently self-adhesive for easy installation. Another easy option for doors are door sweeps and thresholds, which block drafts at the bottom of the door, and door sets, which are designed to block drafts at the top and sides of the door.
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Outlet and Switch Insulation:
Many people don’t realize how much heat is lost through switches and outlets on the outside walls of their homes. You can purchase easy-to-install insulation that is specifically designed for use with outlets and switches to help prevent that cool air from sneaking inside.
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Window Film:
This is an ideal temporary solution for use on older windows that are letting in cold air due to inefficient design or deterioration due to age. Window film is a crystal-clear, plastic film that is installed over the window on the interior of your home. It creates an extra, insulating layer of air and also blocks drafts which would otherwise come directly into the home. Most window film is easy to install and can be made virtually invisible by tightening it with the heat from a hair dryer.
Some or all of these projects can be easily done over a weekend to seal your home for added comfort and energy savings. For more products to enhance the energy efficiency of your home, visit Kent.ca.