5 Ways To Reduce Heat Loss In Your Home

A bubble. That’s what we need to put our homes inside when the cold weather hits. A bubble would make it so that if we had any heat loss it wouldn’t go far! Keeping heat inside your house and the cold winter wind outside is not only about our comfort, but it’s also about our wallet. Keeping our heating bills as low as possible is first and foremost on everyone’s mind. When we have heat loss in our homes, it means that some of the precious warm air that we have heated is escaping to the outdoors. Lessening the amount of heat loss at your house is a huge step in the right direction for saving money this winter.

Here are 5 quick and easy ways to make your home more heat efficient:

Insulate the attic

Is there insulation in your attic? If so, how much? The existence and amount of insulation that is there is crucial to your home’s ability to hold in the ever rising warm air. If checking your attic insulation status is not something that you can easily do, contact a local contractor or insulation installer for an in-home evaluation.

Insulate your walls

Some older homes have very little insulation in their walls. The minimum that usually suggested for exterior walls is 6” thick. But, some have only four inches. Removing your walls to add more fiberglass insulation is all but impossible and can be a very involved home repair. Blown-in insulation is an easier and more efficient option. The amount of insulation in your walls can be increased quickly and easily by using it. If you think that some of your home’s heat loss could be attributed to the lack of insulation in your walls, then consider adding some blown-in insulation.

Replacement windows

Ill-fitting, warped, old windows can certainly be a contributing factor to your heat loss. Old wood windows with single pane glass are a far cry from the double pane insulated glass windows of today. Vinyl replacement windows are custom made to fit and are composed of the highest quality vinyl. These windows will add beauty while making your home more energy efficient.

Replace your doors

Entrance doors can be the focus of the exterior or your home. They can easily add character, color and style to set your house apart. Unfortunately, if these doors are old, they very well could be allowing cold air into your home and hot air out. Replacing your doors with a new replacement fiberglass or steel door can stop this unwanted air exchange.

Sealing other miscellaneous areas

Cold and hot air can move through small spaces. Using a gasket behind your electrical outlet or switch covers is a great way to stop air movement around these holes in the wall. Check around your chimney, stink pipes and appliance ducts for areas that could be re-sealed or caulked to prevent air movement. Inspect your basement utility door for any leaks or areas that are failing and repair or replace as necessary.

Stopping heat loss is as simple as keeping as much hot air in your home as possible. Unfortunately, we can’t put our home in a bubble. Until then, do your best to seal it up by using these five simple steps.

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