How to Remedy Heat Loss in Your Delaware Home
When those icy winds start blowing, you’re probably more worried about cold getting into your home than heat escaping. But heat loss is the main problem when it comes to keeping a house warm and comfortable in colder weather. The laws of physics dictate that heat will move toward cold, unless some other factor is countering that movement, such as wind or a difference in air pressure. So usually, the warmth in your home will do its best to escape to the outside during the winter months. If you can effectively reduce that heat loss, you’ll have a more comfortable and affordable home.
Two Main Strategies to Limit the Loss of Heat
Air sealing. If you can tighten up your home’s outer envelope, less warm air can escape to the outside. A professional energy audit will help find where air is leaking from your home, or you can look for air leaks yourself. Likely spots include places where utility wires, vents or pipes penetrate outside walls, the seams between sill plate, walls and foundation, and windows and doors. Seal leaky windows and doors (the edges that meet the frames) with weatherstripping. Use caulk or spray foam to seal up other gaps and cracks in your home’s envelope.
Insulation. While sealing air leaks stops the movement of air between inside and outside, it doesn’t stop heat from transferring through walls, roof and foundation, or between the attic and the floors below. This is where insulation plays a role in reducing heat loss. The right type and amount of insulation will significantly improve home comfort, while reducing the workload of your HVAC system.
The best part of this double-pronged strategy for slowing heat loss is that both air sealing and insulation also will reduce heat gain in the summer.
For more advice on reducing heat loss in your Mid-Atlantic area home, please contact us at Sobieski Services, Inc. Our goal is to help our customers learn more about energy and home-comfort issues so they can save money and live in healthier, more comfortable homes.
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