Envirolution - Blog

Just because Mother Nature is holding out and our area has not received the usual amount of snow, that does not excuse us from doing some simple weatherizing. In this first blog I will start providing a quick and simple, anyone can do-it-yourself, at-home walkthrough.

First, there are some simple facts you should know, or find out, about your residence: When was it built, how is the interior space heated, and how is the water heated? Basically, the newer it is the more likely it was built to satisfy more stringent codes. For space heating, using a high efficiency gas furnace is a good choice, solar thermal heated hydronics is even better; while older electric wall units and high draw portable heaters can be expensive. For water heating, on demand systems—gas or electric—are a solid choice.

Four Quick Tips

1.)   When it is dark outside, stand inside your home and take a look at your swinging doors. Have another person who is outside go around the edge of the door frame with a flashlight held close to the door’s edge. Look for any light leaks and note them. Fix leaks along the edge and top with some weather-stripping, and address the bottom of the door with a door sweep. Don’t let that expensive conditioned air escape like the picture shows.

2.)   Now take a look at the edges of the windows where the frame meets the wall and look for separation and or water damage. There should be a solid layer of caulking or sealant around the frame. If there are gaps, get a caulking gun and a tube of caulking or appropriate sealant, like in the picture. First scrape out old caulking and wipe clean the

rim, then apply a thin, yet covering, layer around the whole rim of the frame. Do this for all windows; keep an eye on this seal over the years. If a seal begins showing wear, you may need to further address the external seal, siding, or replace the window. Notice the cold creeping in through the gap from frame to wall.
3.)   If you have cold or unused rooms, such as an office, or extra bedroom, grab a thick blanket from the thrift store and cut to fit three inches larger than the window(s) in the room and install hooks, or nails, on the outer corners of the wall two inches outside the corners. Either clip in eyelets or just hook the corners over the edges, being sure to get blanket flush with the wall. This will reduce heat loss and increase privacy. Just remove the covering when the room is in use.

4.)   If you want to take weatherizing to the next level, have a Building Envelope Test and or a Forced Air Unit Distribution Test done. These tests check for leakage out of your house and out of the duct system. There are usually some rebates offered by your utility district or power provider to offset the costs of these tests and the information you get. Seeing where the heat is leaving your home with an infrared camera can be an eye opening experience.

Stay tuned for future articles including more energy and water saving do-it-yourself techniques to use!