Expert Advice on Home Improvement TV Host of Emmy®-Nominated Today's Homeowner® and home expert for The Weather Channel

Winterizing Your Home

Attics and Basements, Heating and Cooling, Interior, Green Living, Insulation Published 12/22/2006 by Danny Lipford

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Keeping the heat up and your energy bill down

With the colder months approaching many Americans are looking for ways to save money on the rising cost of heating their homes. In addition, this is also the time of year when homeowners may want to take a look at some unwanted visitors who can do some real damage to areas of the home you may never see.

Sealing Up And Insulating the Home

The main goal of sealing up and insulating the home is simple - keep the warm air in and the cold air out! In the average home, if you added up all the cracks and gaps, the area would be approximately 3 feet squared. Just imagine the amount of cold air that can sneak in through those spaces and of course the amount of warm air that can sneak out. Check out the following areas where the biggest losses can occur:

Attic Insulation

Since warm air rises, it goes without saying that if you don’t have enough attic insulation - your heating bills are quite literally going through the roof. One of the most common and effective ways of saving heat is making sure you have enough. If you don’t know how to tell, one signal is if you can see your ceiling joists you need more. Also, different areas of the country require different R-values, which translates into a thickness of insulation. Check with your local home center, and they will be able to advise you on the recommended R-value for your area.

Sealing Up Cracks

Cracks around windows, on perimeter walls and certainly around electrical outlets that are located on an exterior wall can create a tremendous leak of warm air. Using a basic caulk around all windows to seal up cracks and holes will provide a more airtight envelope around the home.

Inefficient Windows

While this is a time of year that many homeowners choose to replace old windows that rattle and the wind blows right through, purchasing new windows is certainly expensive and requires some planning. A terrific interim solution is a window insulation kit like the one available from Duck brand. This kit is very easy to install, can completely insulate the window, and costs for about $3 per window.

Unwanted Guests

In the summer it is ants and in-laws - in the winter it can be rodents and in-laws - but all year long the most uninvited guests that are working away while you are sleeping are termites. This is an excellent time of year to have an annual termite inspection to make sure that, if any termites are present, they are eliminated COMPLETELY. According to the National Pest Management Association, damage caused by termites is upwards on two billion dollars.

Getting the Most of Your Heating System

Now that you have insulated the home, and have made sure that there are no critters gnawing away at your foundation, the next step is to make sure you are getting the best possible performance from your current heating system. One of the first steps you need to take is to have your heating system serviced by a professional to make sure it is operating at maximum efficiency. It is also a good idea to change your air filter at least once a month.

Another way to maximize on your current heating systems is by installing what’s known as a computerized setback thermostat. This item makes sure that your home is warm when you want it to be, and not when you are way from home.