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2torial #0562:
Learn2 Weatherize Your Home
 Find leaks
Before you start the weatherization process, you
need to assess your home's needs. Many local
utility companies will come to your home and,
either for free or for a nominal fee, conduct a
thorough assessment of your home's insulation
system. Some companies will even take an infrared
photo on a cold winter's night, which will reveal
exactly where your home is hemorrhaging heat.
Likewise, they'll tell you how the summer heat is
penetrating the cool refuge that is your home. If
your energy utility does provide this service, take
advantage of it.
In the meantime, learn the potential trouble
spots for yourself. Some are obvious, but some you
might never have considered. Here is a list, in
order of importance:
1. Floors, ceilings and walls: Even a
wall that looks airtight could be an energy sink.
Do the touch test: walls, floors and ceilings that
feel significantly colder or hotter than room
temperature may need attention.
2. Ducts: Sometimes heating vents
actually suck warmth out of a room, while cooling
vents blow in hot air during summer. If you have a
central heating and/or cooling system, check all
ducts and registers to ensure they are working for
you, not against you.
3. Fireplaces: When your fireplace is not
in use, be sure the flue is closed, summer and
winter alike.
4. Plumbing: Sometimes pipes enter a
house above ground. Walk around the perimeter of
your house to see where pipes may penetrate outside
walls. Perform the touch test in order to detect
gaps between pipes and the wall around them. Note:
Be careful to avoid very hot pipes or ducts.
5. Doors: Gaps between a door and its
frame are one of the biggest heat-loss offenders,
and one of the easiest problems to fix.
6. Windows: Loose caulking and cracked
panes are simple to repair and can make significant
improvements. If the glass is cold to the touch in
winter, or hot in the summer, you
might want to consider a more insulated window
system.
7. Wall fans: When built-in fans are
installed (usually in kitchens and bathrooms),
contractors often leave invisible gaps between the
fan and the wall itself. Again, do the touch test
around the edges of the fan to determine if a little
caulking might be in order.
Now that you know where problems may lie, we'll
present some potential solutions.
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