We have all felt the draft near a window in our house at one time or another. So I don’t have to tell you that if outside air is coming in, inside heat (or air conditioning) is going out. But there are plenty of other ways energy can escape your home unseen and undetected, and that means it’s costing you money every day of every month on your utility bill.

Whether fall is just around the corner or the lazy days of summer are upon us, now is the time to think about saving energy. Weatherizing your home is an important step in saving energy, because heat and air escape through the home’s envelope.

So what is a building envelope? Think of it as the shell that protects the interior of your home from the outside environment. It’s one of the most important on the list of architectural design elements for every building and includes your home’s foundation, roof, exterior walls, doors, and windows.

Your home’s wrap is obviously an important part of keeping your home standing, but it’s also a critical factor in controlling how comfortable you stay inside: humidity levels, temperature, and even the quality of the air you and your family breathe. . Any breach of this well-designed seal can allow heat, air and moisture to pass through, and valuable energy can literally walk out the front door. The fact is that nearly a third of a home’s total heat loss occurs through its windows and doors.

Of course, energy can also seep in from other areas of your home, through dropped ceilings over tubs and cabinets, fireplace dampers, attic access hatches, baseboard trim, recessed lights and fans, as well as around pipes and fittings. Electric socket. Even the lack of plaster can allow energy to escape.

The Energy Audit

Can anything be done to stop this loss of energy? your bet You can start by doing an energy audit. An energy audit will uncover the biggest sources of energy loss in your home. Using specialized equipment, a professional energy auditor will be able to identify leaking areas and tell you what to do about them. Some utility companies offer basic energy audits for free. You may also qualify for a free energy audit and energy efficiency upgrades to your home through the Weatherization Assistance Program.

The ‘DIY’ Energy Audit

Even if you don’t want to pay a professional energy auditor, you can find energy leaks yourself by doing a quick visual inspection of your home. And since so much energy is lost through windows and doors, it’s a good idea to start with them. The telltale signs of energy loss are obvious: daylight around a door or window frame reveals the gaps and spaces that allow air to pass through, and ill-fitting doors and windows will shake easily. You don’t have to be a professional to feel if you have a difference in temperature or drafts near the windows of any of your rooms.

Air conditioning your home is easy

After the audit has been carried out, weatherizing your home is the next step in achieving significant energy savings. In fact, studies show that weatherization can reduce heating bills by 32% and overall energy bills by about $350 per year. And weatherizing your home doesn’t cost a lot of money either. You can do many of the repairs yourself.

The quickest and cheapest solution is to seal all window edges and cracks with caulking. Another quick fix is ​​weather stripping. For doors, run weatherstripping around the entire perimeter to ensure a tight seal when closed. You can also install quality door sweeps at the bottom of all entry doors. These products are inexpensive and you can pick them up at any hardware store.

If your existing windows and doors are tarnished, have missing caulking, damaged frames, or dead locks, you’re better off simply replacing them. In fact, installing new windows or doors may be the wisest financial decision you can make. In addition to saving energy, new windows and doors will protect your home’s resale value should you decide to sell it. Stringent government standards for energy efficiency can make it difficult to keep your home competitive in today’s market because your home won’t be as attractive to potential buyers if it doesn’t have energy-efficient windows and doors.

Sit back and relax this winter

Then there is the comfort factor to think about. New windows feel better: less drafty in the winter, cooler in the summer, quieter year-round, and generally safer.

Weatherizing your home makes sense on many levels. Not only will you improve your home’s energy efficiency and keep more money in your wallet every month, but you’ll also improve your family’s air quality and comfort level. By getting an energy and weatherization audit done now, you can relax and enjoy winter, knowing you and your family are warm and comfortable in your energy-efficient home.