Winterizing Your Home - 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.
www.duckproducts.com
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. For the most effective eradication of termites, make sure you are using a licensed pest control professional that uses the Termidor product, one of the only products on the market that will completely eliminate termites within three months.
www.termidorhome.com
Termidor phone: 1-877-TERMIDOR
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.
A great new invention to help make the best of your heating system is called the Reiker Room Conditioner. In design very similar to a ceiling fan, this innovative unit does several things to maximize the warm air that is already in the home. One of the first functions of the Reiker Room Conditioner is to capitalize on the warm air that has risen to the ceiling. The Reiker recaptures that air and redistributes it in an even manner throughout the room. Next it draws cold air into the heating device, heats it and then distributes that air evenly through the room. Equipped with a remote control device and the ability to set a timer to heat the room just when you will be getting up in the morning or arriving home from work, this new invention can not only effectively supplement your current heating system but create a warm and cozy environment in every room.
www.buyreiker.com |
