Long-Term Saving Tip:
One of the most cost effective 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:
First, test your home for air tightness. On a windy day, hold a lit incense stick next to your windows, doors, electrical boxes, plumbing fixtures, electrical outlets, ceiling fixtures, attic hatches, and other locations where there is a possible air path to the outside. If the smoke stream travels horizontally, you have located an air leak that may need caulking, sealing or weatherstripping.
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 of exterior walls.
Look for dirty spots in 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 specially 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 comprehensible caulking and sealing the exterior walls.
Percentage of areas that air escapes from:
31% from floors,walls, and ceiling
15% Ducts
14% Fireplace
13% Plumbing penetrations
11% Doors
10% Windows
2% Electrical Outlets
