How Can I Keep Energy from Escaping My Home?

Winter is just around the corner. Those lower temperatures become an annoyance when your home is drafty, uncomfortable, and lacking in efficiency. Heat escaping the home results in your furnace running more frequently for longer periods of time to maintain the desired temperature. Even once it reaches the right temperature, certain areas in the home will still have an annoying cold draft. Luckily, there are plenty of things you can do to keep the heat inside your home and avoid high monthly energy costs this winter! 

Improved Insulation 

When was the last time your home’s insulation was checked? If you don’t know, then it’s definitely been too long! Contact a contractor to inspect the insulation in your home. They will be able to identify areas that need more insulation or even a different type of insulation. Insulation can be found in your attic, under the floor, inside the exterior walls, in the crawlspace, and more! The untrained eye isn’t able to look at that insulation and know if it’s good enough or not, so don’t waste your time trying. 

Sealing the Gaps 

Expanding foam insulation can be used around any small gaps that could be letting hot air escape while cold air comes in. these gaps are commonly found around electric lines, plumbing lines, and around your chimney. A contractor can inspect those gaps during the insulation inspection process to determine if they need to be sealed. Since they’ll already be in there beefing up your normal insulation, it’s the perfect time to get the gaps sealed too! 

Upgraded Windows, Doors, and Siding 

Insulation plays a major role in the energy efficiency of your home, but so do your windows, doors, and siding. Outdated windows and doors are more prone to cold drafts. You can check for a draft by holding a lit candle around the edge of each window and door. If the flame flickers, it’s a sign that there’s a draft coming through. Some drafts are so bad you can feel them just by standing next to the window or door! New siding is the perfect addition to improved exterior wall insulation. It acts as just another layer of protection between the interior of your home and the cold temperatures outside. 

All of this improved insulation and home upgrades aren’t just beneficial in the winter either! During the summer months, it will be easier for your AC to keep the home cool without hot summer air coming inside. Contact Anderson Insulation today to schedule an insulation inspection before winter weather arrives! Our team can assess your current insulation, provide a price estimate for upgrades, and complete the upgrades before you have to feel any uncomfortable cold drafts.