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In a nutshell weatherization is the term for keeping the outside weather outside. Weatherization is one of the first steps any homeowner should take when they decide they want to start conserving energy.
60%-80% of the bills paid to utility companies is paid to heat or cool your home. The biggest problem that contributes to this is a leaky house. When a house is built well it should be wrapped in a plastic bag. Hold on I'll explain.
Because of the demands of home builders to get them built, a lot of key features are missed. This causes your home to be leaky. Have you ever passed a light switch on your wall on a windy day and felt wind blowing through it? You have a leaky house.
So how do we go about sealing our home? The first places to look are the common places in our house that leak.
- Electrical outlets - This includes outlets, switches, and where light fixtures attach
- Places where plumbing enters your home - Sewer drains for your sink as well as the water lines that feed the sink
- Behind your baseboards.
- Bathroom ventilation fans
- Improperly installed AC vents
- Windows and doors - Opening and closing windows and doors can cause them to not seat properly.
These are just a few of the many places that must be addressed in order to keep the outside air outside.
Now that you know where to look where do we start.
Weatherization Techniques
The easiest way to find where your home is leaky is to use a lit incense. By placing the lit incense by the areas I mentioned like your electrical outlets, you can see the smoke move where air is coming into your home. It is a good idea to keep a note pad and pen with you as you do this so you can write down the different areas that needs sealing.
The easiest areas to start with are your windows and doors, as well as your outlets. Many home improvement stores offer different types of insulation products specifically for re-sealing doors and windows. You can also find insulating pads made of a fire-retardent foam to place behind the switch plates of electrical switches and electrical outlets.
NOTE: Be sure to turn off the breakers or fuses that are connected to the outlet or switch you are about to work on.
The next area to look at that most people with a little handy man in them can handle is where ever plumbing enters the house. Areas to look at are under the cabinets of sinks where the sewer drain pipe leads into your home. If you will notice there may be air coming in around that pipe. To fix this all you need is a tube of caulk. Fill the cavity around the pipe. That's it.
The last areas to attack may take a little more skill than the average homeowner might have and they are the areas around your AC vents and behind your baseboards. When the holes are cut around the AC vents in the drywall, they are never cut precisely. This is where you will need to remove the vent and fill those gaps with caulk. This will also cut down on some of the dust you may get into the house. If those gaps exist dust from your attic or between the walls can be pulled from these gaps and blow into your house.
Next we have the baseboards. I mentioned earlier that this may require a little woodworking skill to fix. Baseboards are used in homes to cover the gap created when the drywall is placed on the walls. There is always a gap between the bottom of the drywall and the floor. To fix this the baseboards needs to be removed and that gap needs to be filled with caulk or spray foam. Spray foam should only be used if you have a large gap of over 1 inch.
These are just a few of the most effective ways to remedy leaks in your home. They are also very inexpensive to fix. You will quickly recover any money spent on these small projects with the savings you will see in your utility bills. |
