Home Improvement Weatherization Tips
Weatherization is an important home improvement project that every home owner should know something about. Weatherization serves a few purposes. It will help you save money on heating and cooling, protect your home from the weather and improve the look and feel of your home. Weatherization mainly focuses on finding and fixing air leaks, but it can also include replacing old heating and cooling units, windows and doors.
The first step[ in weatherization is focusing on finding air leaks. The most common air leaks will occur around windows, doors and along walls. Any air leak found should be noted so they can be fixed. The easiest time to check for air leaks is on a windy day when the temperature is mild. That way you can easily hold your hand up to the area and feel the air leak. It is important to also note when an area feels very cold. It may not have a small air leak, but a large one that just lets huge amounts of cold in.
Once all the air leaks are found you should go back and decide how to fix them. Windows are usually covered in plastic or caulked, if they are in otherwise good shape. Any broken or damaged windows should be fixed or replaced. Doors can usually be sealed with special tape or other product designed to help doors seal better. Wall leaks can usually be easily caulked to stop air leaks.
Other weatherization you may want to do is to check the siding and fix any broken or missing pieces. You might consider upgrading your furnace or heating unit if it is old. Pipes should be wrapped or well insulated to prevent water freezing in them, which can lead to even bigger problems.
The bottom line of weatherization is locking the weather out. Heating and cooling is not cheap and by sealing a home against the outside weather can help keep costs down. There are many products on the market that make weatherization simple. It is a home improvement project that is money well spent because in the end it will save you money.
The first step[ in weatherization is focusing on finding air leaks. The most common air leaks will occur around windows, doors and along walls. Any air leak found should be noted so they can be fixed. The easiest time to check for air leaks is on a windy day when the temperature is mild. That way you can easily hold your hand up to the area and feel the air leak. It is important to also note when an area feels very cold. It may not have a small air leak, but a large one that just lets huge amounts of cold in.
Once all the air leaks are found you should go back and decide how to fix them. Windows are usually covered in plastic or caulked, if they are in otherwise good shape. Any broken or damaged windows should be fixed or replaced. Doors can usually be sealed with special tape or other product designed to help doors seal better. Wall leaks can usually be easily caulked to stop air leaks.
Other weatherization you may want to do is to check the siding and fix any broken or missing pieces. You might consider upgrading your furnace or heating unit if it is old. Pipes should be wrapped or well insulated to prevent water freezing in them, which can lead to even bigger problems.
The bottom line of weatherization is locking the weather out. Heating and cooling is not cheap and by sealing a home against the outside weather can help keep costs down. There are many products on the market that make weatherization simple. It is a home improvement project that is money well spent because in the end it will save you money.
