Brrrr – Where is that air coming from?
Well, it is that time of year and by now you aware of the cold winter temps but you don’t notice it as much until the utility bills come in. Here are a few reminders and tips to help keep that heating bill down and your comfort leverl higher:
- If you have a garage check out the seals around the garage door, don’t forget to examine the weather strip at the bottom of the door. If you happen to have a unlevel concrete at the bottom of the door look up on the internet for a bottom seal that can cover a gap of 1-2 inches!
- In my house I have a crawl space with those beautiful self-closing vents, problem is they do not make a very good air seal. The wind usually blows just enough through that for a really cold crawl space. I happen to have a very inexpensive solution. A foam board with only an R-3 value. Of course it is a low value, but the goal is to stop most of the wind blowing right through The crawl space vents. The crawlspace will be a bit warmer if the breeze just didn’t blow in (perhaps lower the chance of frozen pipes). That cold air cools your floors wall cavities and eventually ends up getting into your home. https://www.homedepot.com/p/Cellofoam-3-4-in-x-14-1-2-in-x-48-in-R-3-Polystyrene-Insulating-Sheathing-6-Pack-150705/205517302
- Purchased and lightly spray-painted black for aesthetic reasons
- Cut to my size vents 7.5/14.5
- Pushed them on.
The pack of six boards (4’ by 14.5”) was roughly $10! Each board can produce (cut with box cutter) 6 boards for a total of 36 vent covers and I don’t have that many. Best thing is to just leave them white, but I wanted to just tone it down a little.
- Pipes- When freezing, letting the water drip is a good idea, but DON’T forget to insulate pipes.
- Get a partner and at night one of you go outside with a flashlight and shine around the door see if your partner can see light. If you do see light obtain some weather stripping and keep your home warmer this winter!
- Finally, check the windows. Sometimes a window is left slightly open, check bottom and top and lock the latches
If you have any questions about buying or selling a home just give me a call 757-971-3574!