Weatherizing your home can prevent warm air from leaking out of your house in the winter — which costs both energy and money. The good news is that weatherizing your house is a cheap and easy task. All you have to do is caulk, seal and weather-strip seams, cracks and openings to the outdoors. And it’s well worth the 10 percent or more you’ll save on energy costs.
Every house has some common culprits for air leaks. These are some of the areas you’ll want to focus on when weatherizing your home:
- Dropped ceilings
- Light fixtures
- Attic entrance
- Electrical wires, boxes, switches and outlets
- Water and furnace flues
- Air ducts
- Door and window sashes and frames
- Chimneys
Here are some tips for weatherizing your house: - Test your home for air leaks. On a windy day, hold a lit candle or incense stick next to windows, doors, electrical outlets and other areas that are common culprits for air leaks. If the smoke or flame wavers noticeably, then you have found an area you need to seal. You can also have a professional home energy audit..
- Caulk and weather-strip around drafty doors and windows — don’t forget basement windows.
- Caulk and seal air leaks where electrical wiring, plumbing or ductwork penetrates through exterior walls, floors and ceilings.
- Purchase inexpensive rubber or foam insulation kits specially designed for electrical outlets and switch plates.
- Install storm windows over single-pane windows or replace the windows with better insulated double-pane windows. During the cold winter months, you can also purchase window insulation kits, which allow you to install clear plastic over drafty windows.
- Consider plugging the fireplace flue with an inflatable plug or a rigid insulation plug if you don’t use the fireplace.
- Caulk the exterior of your house around all areas where electrical, gas, cable and water lines enter the house. Also, caulk around your dryer vent.
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