weatherizing your house?

Question

My heating bill is outrageous! I keep my heat set on 70 but my house is always cold! Besides for putting plastic on windows any other ideas?

Someone told me I could buy in bulk plastic from home depot, can I use this or should i but those kits they have especially for windows? (alot of them seem so expensive)

Answer 1

You may want to have a heating company come in and do a thermal imaging of your house. That will show any places where there are heat leaks in your house. Check your attic to see how much insulation is in the attic. You should have at least 12" of insulation in the attic. You can lay down two layerss of insulation at 90 degrees to each other in the attic. Check your walls to make sure they are properly insulated if you have an old house. In some old houses, the walls aren't even insulated. Use spray in foam around large cracks and around electrical outlets that are on outside walls. Make sure that the foam is ok for use around electricity. There are also Foam sheets you can place under the outlet and switch covers too help keep out cold. Make sure cracks are sealed around doors and windows with caulking. Buy a good caulking gun. They work a lot better than the squeeze tubes of caulking. Check around the edges of your doors to make sure they are getting good seals. If they aren't, replace the seals or add an extra layer to the seal so that the seal is tight.

If you have single pane windows, see about getting them replaced to go with double or triple pane windows from a good company like Anderson or Pella. You can get a tax write off for installing to energy efficient windows if you need them.

If you don't have a storm door, see about adding a storm doors to you front or back doors.

If you have a fireplace, make sure to keep the flew closed when you are not using it. They also make covers to help keep the cold air out when around the fireplace when you aren't using them.

For the bottoms of doors there are pillows or types of a bean bag that you can use to place along the bottom of the door when you aren't using it. If your garage directly connects to your house use a u-channel seal around the bottom to help keep the hair out better. Or insulate the garage if it's not insulated. By keeping the attached garage insulated you help keep heat from escaping the rest of the house as easily.

Answer 2

Basically check the whole house for drafty places. If theres air comming under the doors, use that stripping that helps it, doing the windows helps alot. Cover air condition vents if you have the kind build into the wall. If the home insulation in the walls isnt good, then the walls will be cold and the house will get cold. If you have an attic, make sure no drafts are comming dowm from there...same goes fo the basement. Also, try to keep certain doors closed like bathroom doors and beadroom and the main house should get a bit warmer too. Also wear some nice socks :) so yur feet wont be cold lol. Other than that, you can get a space heater but that will run up the electric.....

Answer 3

I work in the state weatherization program. First priority we address is air inflitration: use weatherstripping around doors and windows (weatherstrip is for moving parts) and buy some good silicone acrylic caulk and a caulk gun and on a warm day, caulk around all of your door and window frames and also any other cracks. Buy outlet insulators to put under your wall switch and outlet plates--big savings for very little cost. After air infiltration, the second biggest loss of heat in a home is through the ceiling. Check to see how deep your insulation is; most homes have less than what is needed. Insulation is not that expensive, and once installed lasts forever so it is a good investment. Heat rises straight up, so any heat loss upwards (or downwards through the summer) really increases your energy bills.
Make sure not to cover up vents that are required to eliminate moisture in your home--such as the attic vents. Your attic should be about the same temp as the outside during the winter, the vents are there to let any moisture out and prevent damage. Dont Dont Dont cover turbine vents. Dont put a cover on the outside of a window airconditioner, just makes it rust-seal from the inside. Energystar.gov has some good tips.

Answer 4

Sealing things like windows will stop wind from blowing in, but does not prevent drafts. Drafts are from air being heated or cooled; it can happen in a completely air-tight room.

When warm air hits a cold surface (window or wall), it falls, creating a moving air current. If your house is not well-insulated, no amount of plastic on the windows will make a difference. If it is just from leaky windows and doors, then plastic and weatherstripping will help.

Answer 5

Have you checked how much insulation you have in the attic? The 3M window kits are worth the money. Anything to keep an airlock will help. Check all your doors as well for weatherstripping.
Use a humidifier. Dry air always makes you feel colder.

Answer 6

Check the seals around doors. Put up weatherstrips anywhere you can see light coming in. Consider shutting off vents in rooms you aren't in for most of the day (bedrooms, storage) or rooms that heat themselves like kitchens. If things get really bad hang blankets to cut warm air off from hallways and back doors that aren't used much. Wear a sweater and set the temp to 65 and drink a cup of warm tea. If you back it off a degree a week you won't notice it. good luck

Answer 7

Keep your blinds closed on cold days and when the sun comes out open them to heat your house. Get your furnace checked and cleaned and that can make a difference.. If your furnace is real old replace it and it won't cost you as much to heat as these new furnaces are much better than the old ones. Also if you have old windows think about replacing them as the old ones leak really bad and these new ones are really good today. If you don't have a progammable theromstat get one and you can save money that way also.

Answer 8

I got this squirt on sealant called WINDJAMMER from HJome Depot. You squirt it on each of the edges of the windows and it stops air from infiltrating there. It works great in the winter and in the spring you just grab it and peel it off (sort of like rubber cement).

I used in last winter when they sold a brand called SEAL AND PEEL and found it eliminated all the cold drafts.

Answer 9

70 omg ....check attic...you should have at least a foot to 15 inches of insulation up there, its worth the cost..then as others said fix all drafts and air leaks...but 75% of heat goes thru the roof

Answer 10

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