One of the quickest ways to improve the “enerficiency” of every home is sealing air leaks in the home.
As the cost of home heating oil goes up the energy
inefficiencies of our homes become painfully evident.
Precious warmth — and the energy needed to produce it is
lost forever through air leaks around windows, baseboards
Not only is the lack of “enerficiency” financially costly
to individuals, it is also environmentally costly to the
next few generations. Wasted energy produced by
nonrenewable fossil fuel sources totals millions of dollars
annually.
But it can be so easy to improve the “enerficiency” of
every home. One of the quickest ways to see results is to
caulk, seal and weather-strip all seams, cracks and
openings to the outside, thereby sealing air leaks in the home. Take the time to caulk both sides
of your window casing, the inside of the frame and the
outer perimeter. Savings of $100-$200 per season can be
realized just by this alone.
Sources of air leaks in our home:
Window sashes and frames
Baseboards, coves and interior window trim
Chimney penetration
Electrical boxes and outlets
Light fixtures
The same simple steps can be taken in the summer to improve
efficiency in air conditioning costs.
D. Black
President, Greenstation Co.
Lansing, MI