A significant sum of money could be escaping right out your windows and doors in your home. Even if you’re not going to the front door and throwing cash out, warmed and cooled air could be seeping through cracks in your windows and doors – the same as losing a significant chunk of change. So what do you do about it? There are some steps you can take to be sure you’re doing your best to be energy efficient.
Begin by looking for the cracks. It’s almost certainly easier than you think. Wait for a dark night, turn on your inside light and position yourself outside your door. Do you see light? If light is escaping, chances are your warm or cool air can also escape. Make a prudent note of where those cracks appear and head for the hardware store. You’ll find there are a number of weather stripping products to help you close up those cracks and crevices.
The door is a known place for energy escape. When you’ve got an older door, the weather stripping at the bottom is sometimes worn out or just non-existent. It’s reasonably easy to install a new weather strip and this may correspond to a significant savings with your energy bill.
The light trick is a great way to check doors, but how do you think you’re going to test for air leaks at the windows? One way is to wait for a breezy day and thoroughly feel all around your window. When you’ve got light curtains, chances are you’ll even be able to see the breeze ruffle the curtains. A candle flame is also able to be a good indicator. Hold a candle at various spots around the border of the window, being certain to stay clear of curtains and other material. If there’s a breeze coming in through the window frame, the flame of the candle will flicker.
Again, weather stripping is an effective primary step on the way to lessening the effect of air exchange. Don’t overlook the potential for caulking. You can get caulk in a number of forms and nearly anyone can use a caulking gun. When you have some obvious cracks and crevices around doors and windows, seal them up.
If you’re serious about tracing down the air leaks in your house, you can always hire a professional contractor to test. They have got ways to determine where the majority of your air is going and know how to recommend you regarding how to prevent it.
At the end of all the examination, there’s basically no substitute for quality, energy-efficient doors and windows. With the current demand for these products, you’ll find an unbelievable array of designs and features, the majority at very affordable prices. If you consider the cost of heating and cooling that air that could be flowing through the drafty door and if you’re like me you don’t want to go another year throwing your energy dollars away. So develop a plan of action to prevent an unnecessary waste of money.
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