You can spend considerable resources to heat your home so it might come as a surprise that you could be throwing some of that money right out your window…or your basement or your roof. The truth is, every home leaks. But you can do something about reducing how much of it you lose during the winter season by identifying the areas where it seeps out most.
If you address these most common locations where your energy efficiency is affected most, you can lower your heating bills and keep your home warmer and more comfortable. You don’t even need to contact your local company for heating and air in Owasso to find these problem areas either. We’re going to tell you where to check and how best to fix the issue.
You’ll want to check these five areas in the home:
1.Your Windows
This is probably the biggest culprit responsible for heat loss in your home. You may think you’ve shut your windows to retain warmth but think again. Even when your windows are closed, they may be allowing heat to escape through small gaps, tiny cracks, and thin openings you might not even know exist. These can occur when wood frames warp and shift. Find and seal these vulnerabilities.
Your glass is also allowing heat to seep through. But you can reduce the loss by putting up curtains, drapes and other window coverings to provide insulation.
2. Your Basement
The floor and walls of the basement can also let heat sneak out of the home when this area remains unfinished. But you can stop this from happening by finishing your basement by adding padding, insulation, and furnishings. Not only will this add usable living space to your home but it will increase the value, all while you lower your heating costs.
3. Your Roof
Heat rises so you may not be too surprised to hear that your heat is escaping through the upper portions of the house. A leaky roof is never a good thing and so you may need to go up in the attic and see if there are any cracks or holes that can let the heat get out. Find these holes and plug them up, you might even want to add more insulation in your attic to bolster your defenses against heat loss.
4. Your Electrical Ports
Think about your electrical switches and outlets. It may not look like it at first, but these can be vulnerable places where heat can escape. It’s about those thin plastic plates that surround your switches and outlets. Heat can get through these if they aren’t properly insulated. You should be able to get insulation covers at your local home store.
5. Your Other Assorted Areas
Anywhere your home may have a seam or relies on a component that opens up a hole in the house could be a source of heat loss. So, check your chimney, pipes, ductwork, even additional doorways like your basement door for cracks or gaps where heat can get out. Apply weather-stripping, caulk, or simply replace faulty doors or leaky ducts with new ones.