Suburban Blog

Seal Up That Drafty House And Save Energy

Burrrrrrrrrrrr, It looks like winter has arrived in the northeast.  I was hoping it was going to pass us by this year.  I 'm sure many of you have noticed over the past few days how cold your windows feel and how drafty your home is.  

More than any other time of year, you notice your home's air leaks in the winter. Most people call these air leaks "drafts." You may feel these drafts around windows and doors and think these leaks are your major source of wasted energy. In most homes, however, the most significant air leaks are hidden in the attic and basement. These are the leaks that significantly raise your energy bill and make your house uncomfortable.

But locating leaks can be difficult because they are often hidden under your insulation. In cold weather, warm air rises in your house, just like it does in a chimney. This air, which you have paid to heat, is just wasted as it rises up into your attic and sucks cold air in all around your home - around windows, doors, and through holes into the basement.
Common Household Air Leaks

* Behind Kneewalls
* Attic Hatch
* Wiring Holes
* Plumbing Vent
* Open Soffit (the box that hides the recessed lights)
* Recessed Light
* Furnace Flue or Duct Chaseway (the hollow box or wall feature that hides ducts)
* Basement Rim Joists (where the foundation meets the wood framing)
* Windows and Doors

Locating Basement Air Leaks

A common area of air leakage in the basement is along the top of the basement wall where cement or block comes in contact with the wood frame. These leaks can easily be fixed in portions of the basement that are unfinished. Since the top of the wall is above ground, outside air can be drawn in through cracks and gaps where the house framing sits on top of the foundation. This perimeter framing is called the rim (or band) joist. In the basement, the above floor joists end at the rim joist creating multiple cavities along the length of the wall, and many opportunities for leakage. The following DIY Guide by Energy Star is the best guide I have seen on sealing up the drafts in a home.  Even implementing a few of the improvements can make a big difference,

Download the DIY Guide PDF (2MB)

Bill Nye Says Buy Replacement Windows

Replacement Windows and sealing up your home from air leeks are two of the most important energy efficient improvements you can do to your home according to Bill Nye the science guy who was on CNN the other night.  I was watching CNN and Bill Nye was debating the validity of Global warming and what we should be doing to help save our planet.  There has been allot of debate surrounding the science of Global warming lately but the evidence is clear, our planet is warming at an alarming rate.  I also saw Al Gore rebut Sara Palin on the subject as she seems to think it's all just a big scare tactic that will hurt the US financially in the long run.  Bill Nye made it clear several times that insulating your home, sealing up air leeks and replacing your windows made a significant difference in not only saving you money and reducing your energy bills but also greatly reducing the level of co2 and the effects of Global warming.  President Obama also continues to talk about retrofitting homes across America to make them more energy efficient and sites Replacement Windows as one of the best improvements you can make along with increasing insulation.  This is why the government has been giving homeowners a $1500 energy tax credit on these type of improvements.

Bill Nye, Al Gore, President Obama, all pretty smart guys.  Maybe we should listen to them.  The evidence suggests that the last decade is ending up to be the warmest on record since they started keeping climate records in the 1800s.  Even though the investment now may be difficult given the state of the economy, our future economy will be much brighter if we as a country take the lead and develop the solutions to make the world a cleaner more energy efficient place and eliminate the dependency on foreign oil.  At Suburban Windows and Siding we are committed to doing our part by providing our Heat Mirror Replacement Windows at the lowest price available to the consumer.