Why You Winterize Your Home

Even without the cold days and nights Winter days are much shorter. Electric bills will get higher from just using more lighting more often. When you start to add in the cost of heating, whether it from electric, gas or heating oil, Winter utility bills can create an unwelcome bulge in the family budget.

Any effort to make your home more energy efficient before Winter arrives will pay off in lower energy costs. You can cut down on the cost of electricity from lighting by using compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs). CFLs have improved in quality and dropped in price over the last few years. A properly made compact fourescent bulb can create as much light as an incandescent bulb and use 1/4 to 1/6 as much electricity. Newer models should last 10 to 15 times longer than incandescents - up to 10,000 hours or more. Saving on electricty for lighting is a good thing, but it's only part of the way to energy efficiency.

Epxerts estimate that on average heating and cooling account for about 30 percent of a homeowner's utility costs. The least expensive, easiest, and for most of use, the most effective way to cut down on energy cost in the winter is with weatherstripping and caulking. Improperly sealed homes can waste 10 to 15 percent of your homeowner's heating dollars.

There'a another reason above and beyond being more comfortable for less money this winter to thoroughly weatherstip and caulk your entire house.

Winter temperatures and wet conditions can create a variety of small problems that add up to big damage and big costs by Spring. Even experienced homeowners can overlook some small but significant steps that can help ward off major home repairs. You want to seal every surface where rain, ice, wind and melting snow can intrude. That means sealing windows, doors, the roof and even the driveway now, before damage occurs.

The most common places for roof leaks are around chimneys, skylights, pipes, flashing and vents. Seal these potential problem areas by troweling on asphalt cement around the perimeter. New 100 percent rubber formulas are preferred because they get more resistant over time.

On the outside use 100 percent acrylic caulk to seal around exterior windows, door frames, water spigots, and under the eaves. Caulk everywhere pipes, ducts or vents enter the house. Get into the attic and seal dryer vents, exhaust fans, attic hatch frames, pipes, ducts, and recessed lighting.

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