Long-Term Savings Tip:
One of the most cost efficient ways to make your home more comfortable year round is to add insulation to your attic. To find out if you have enough attic insulation, measure the thickness of the insulation. If it is less than 7” of fiberglass or rock wool, or 6” of cellulose, you could probably benefit by adding more.
Tips for Sealing Air Leaks:
Caulk and weatherstrip doors and windows that leak air.
Caulk and seal air leaks where plumbing, ducting, or electrical wiring penetrates through exterior walls, floors, ceilings, and soffits over cabinets.
Install rubber gaskets behind outlet and switch plates on exterior walls.
Look for dirty spots in your insulation, which often indicates holes where air leaks into and out of your house. You can seal the holes by stapling sheets of plastic over the holes and caulking the edges of the plastic.
Install storm windows over single pane windows or replace them with double pane windows.
When the fireplace is not in use, keep the flue damper tightly closed. A chimney is designed specifically for smoke to escape, so until you close it, warm air escapes – 24 hours a day!
For new construction, reduce exterior wall leaks by either installing house wrap, taping the joints of exterior sheathing, or comprehensively caulking and sealing the exterior walls.
Percentage of areas that air escapes from:
- 31% from floors, walls, and ceiling
- 11% doors
- 15% ducts
- 10% windows
- 14% fireplace
- 2% electrical outlets
- 13% plumbing penetrations
