Home Insulation Methods That Put Cash Back In Your Pocket
Tuesday, March 3rd, 2009 at
12:16 pm
Utility bills often devour a large amount of your household budget every month. It’s no fun when there are other, apparently more important things to spend money on. That’s why it helps to know the strategies of reducing your utility bills.
Home insulation methods begin with inspecting the whole house. When you do this, you will see that you have a lot of options for reducing your recurring utility bills. Audit your household, taking special notice of the insulation. Alter anything that you can to make energy use in your household more efficient. This will definitely help your family in more ways than you can imagine.
Audit Insulation
You need to look at the different factors that add to energy loss when auditing insulation. Making sure that you have only the correct insulation installed at home will boost your savings as you lower your energy consumption. If you own an older home, some walls may not be well-suited to be insulated, but remodeling them can make these areas accessible. Only make sure you utilize proper insulation on the reconstructed area.
Windows and Doors
Windows and doors are usually the most problematic areas of your home. They should be double checked for leaks. Leaks in these areas, if not immediately mended, could lead to your heating or cooling system expending more energy than needed. Check these leaks by feeling the temperature in the areas outside of your home. Better yet, a contractor can perform tests for other possible leaks which you may not know about. Leaks can also be discovered in the basements and crawlspaces, so you have to remember these areas as well.
Crevices and cracks around your windows and doors aren’t very useful when you are trying to preserve the air temperature inside your home. While holes and small spaces where air can get out can’t be avoided, filling in these cracks will normalize temperature and airflow inside the house.
This is what weather stripping is for. Weather stripping fills in gaps between windows and doors. Nowadays, you can install weather stripping on your own. There are pre made ones that can be easily installed. You only need to append or paste it on the holes that need patching up.
You may also find air leaks elsewhere, such as around electrical switches, outlets, pipes and bathtubs and shower stalls. Make sure not to neglect these so you can be sure to have better installation and increase energy savings.
Attics
Attics play a big part in ensuring your household is energy efficient. Placing vents in this part of the house will preserve good circulation. However if circulation is good enough, insulation may not be needed in this area. Holes in the ceiling allow air to escape the attic, so make sure to seal them to save on your energy consumption.
Fireplaces
Fireplaces may be useful to heat your household during cold seasons, but can also be problematic when not in use. The fireplace may leak out the heat your furnace produces and as a result, more energy will be required to heat your home. To make sure that you are really lowering your utility bills, check that your flue is always closed when not in use.
Window coverings
Windows easily allow in the heat from the outside. Even if the cooling system is operating and the windows are closed, heat can still come through the window as radiation. This is why you need to make use of window coverings, which you can buy or make. Curtains and blinds are good window coverings. They function well, keeping the radiation flow minimized, which will maximize the energy efficiency of your cooling system.
Audit Insulation Needs
Home insulation methods can reduce your monthly utility bills and save money if you correctly audit the insulation system in your home. Moreover, the installed heating or cooling system in your home should be optimized and not put to waste as it operates to better make the family comfortable at home.
There are insulation products on the market that you could use to retain heat in your home. These products can be bought to seal areas where heat is likely to escape. A professional contractor, however may be consulted to do the checking. By doing this you will get professional guidance on how much insulation your home needs in order to lower your utility bills. Residential solar power and wind power are also attractive options for greatly reducing your energy bills.
If you choose to try some home insulation methods yourself, there are many insulation books that you could use as a guide. There is also online information on where to properly insulate and the recommended R-values for the specific area of the household. The recommended R-value for the location of your home may vary from a home in a different region. For this, your electric company or your gas company can assist you best. They can advise according to your zip code and your area which R-value is most appropriate.
Conclusion
It pays to make sure that your house has proper insulation. You can have a professional audit your insulation or you can do it yourself. This is one effective way to use energy efficiently, live comfortably at home and save a lot for the needs of your family.
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