Boost Whole-House Energy Efficiency With These Home Improvement Projects

If you’re looking for relief from high energy bills, it helps to take a whole-house approach to winterizing and insulating your living space. Tackling the following four home improvement projects for energy efficiency can also help resolve comfort issues, such as cold floors, hot or cold spots and inconsistent temperatures between rooms.

Attic

Addressing air leaks and insulating your attic floor with a total of R-60 not only saves energy, it can also block warm air from rising up into the attic. This reduces the risk of ice dams forming along the edge of your roof and causing water backups that can damage the interior space.

Basement or Crawlspace

Insufficient insulation and/or gaps around windows, plumbing, HVAC and other electrical penetrations not only waste energy, they also allow insects and rodents easy access into your home. To find leaks that need attention, turn on the basement light at night, then walk outdoors and inspect the entire foundation. After sealing, cut rigid foam or batt insulation and install them around rim joists.

Ductwork

Leaky, defective ductwork can waste up to 30 percent of your HVAC system’s output. To cut these losses, look for and correct defects like loose air supply boots or disconnected duct sections. Then, with the blower running, locate gaps around ducting joints with a smoke pencil. Finally, seal the accessible ductwork with mastic or metal-backed tape and wrap it with R-6 insulation.

Doors and Windows

Air leaks around windows and exterior doors waste a significant amount of energy. To limit heat loss, install new weatherstripping around the doors and adjust the threshold screws to eliminate any visible gaps. Then, caulk or weatherstrip around the window frames and install plastic window film to block drafts during the winter months.

At Sobieski Services, Inc., our goal is to help our customers in Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland and New Jersey learn more about energy and home comfort issues – especially HVAC and plumbing issues – so that they can save money and live in healthier, more comfortable homes.

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