From the Bottom Up: Tips for an Energy Saving Basement

Many of us are familiar with unfinished basements: often vast areas of dank space beneath your home where the washing machine, dryer, furnace and water heater reside in darkness. Basements are also places that can cause huge drains on an energy bill, often without the homeowner even realizing it. Identify and tighten up areas of potential energy loss in your basement by following a few energy-saving tips.

Insulate, Insulate, Insulate

One of the biggest culprits in an energy-sucking basement is poor or faulty insulation. Make certain air ducts are well-insulated and, if possible, insulate basement walls as well, especially sections where cement meets the structural wood of your home. Properly insulated basements can become extremely cold in winter, so you may want to call in a professional to see if water pipes require wrapping in a heated tape to prevent freezing and bursting in the Delaware Valley area.

Plug Holes and Repair Cracks

If you could watch air escape like water through gaps, holes and cracks in in your basement ceiling, floor or walls, you’d quickly work to seal those yawning gaps and spaces with caulk or use insulating spray foam to plug larger holes. But, since air leaks are relatively invisible, you can only see the difference — sometimes a dramatic difference — on your energy bill afterwards. An energy saving basement is worth the effort of repairing problematic gaps, cracks and holes.

Vent Appliances

Operating clothes dryers pump out a lot of moist heat and need to be properly vented to prevent mold and mildew growth. Warm, moist air from a poorly vented dryer or other humidity-exuding appliance ultimately affects the quality of the indoor air in your home. An energy saving basement can’t save energy if your old appliances are consuming energy in great gasps. Check with a plumbing/heating professional to see what can be done about venting or updating appliances, repairing existing venting or installing heat registers in basement ceilings.

Don’t hesitate to contact us at Sobieski Service, Inc. for more information about creating an energy saving basement or with any other home-comfort concerns.

Photo Credit: Joanna Bourne via Compfight cc