The Department of Energy estimates that weatherized homes save about 32 percent on their energy costs, amounting to over $400 in annual savings. In most cases, weatherization and insulation go hand in hand.
Even when there’s no air leak, adequately insulating your residence keeps heat from escaping. Keep reading to find out what weatherization is, how and why you should weatherize, and what the weatherization program covers.
Why Should You Weatherize Your Home?
Weatherizing your home saves you a lot by reducing energy consumption, as well as increasing your home’s comfort. Weatherization service providers appreciate how a residence operates as a whole and provide answers using building technology to handle ordinary and complex concerns.
Here are four straightforward motivations to weatherize your home:
- Insulating and air sealing saves you up to 50 percent on energy costs
- You may receive up to $1500 in Federal Tax Credits
- Home comfort year-round
- It enhances your house value
What Does Weatherizing a House Mean?
Weatherization is the practice of minimizing the factors that cause your heating and cooling systems to malfunction or fail during the summers and winters. Proper insulation, sealing air leaks all across the house, increasing door and window effectiveness, and tweaking or updating the heating/cooling system are all common energy-saving weatherization tactics. Before applying any energy-saving measures, it’s important to conduct an initial inspection of your home.
How Do I Weatherize My House?
Here are five simple household weatherization ideas to help you save on energy bills.
Clear out your gutters
Clogged gutters cause ice dams – dreadful ice floes that accumulate on your roof if the gutters do not flow smoothly. Warm air from your home flows into the attic, warming the roof and melting the snow and ice. This ice remains under the snowfall until it reaches the gutter, refreezing rather than draining. When they build up, they cause wet spots. Sealing air leaks in the home might also help avoid such spots.
Insert and configure programmable thermostats
A programmable thermostat extends basic home weatherization and improves the efficiency of your warming (and ventilation) equipment. They are simple to set up and can save you up to 10 percent on your heating and cooling bills.
Make sure your ceiling fans rotate in the right direction
Many people primarily think about ceiling fans when wanting to keep cool in the summer. However, the ceiling fan is crucial for home weatherization during all seasons of the year. It can flip air circulation in the winter, blasting down the heat ascending to a high ceiling.
Check, clean, or replace the filtration in central heating systems
A clogged air filter reduces air circulation and forces any system to work extra hard, using more energy. Inspect your filters every month and replace them every three months.
Clear out your water heater
Flushing is a simple DIY tip that helps weatherize your home after sediment collects within your water heater.
Doors and windows rank highly as culprits of air leakage and other faults that impair your home’s energy efficiency. Therefore, ensuring window weatherization and weatherizing doorways is one of the most effective ways to prepare for winter.
What Does the Colorado Weatherization Program Pay for?
The Colorado Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) provides affordable weatherization services for low-income households across Colorado. It helps them improve their living conditions by saving money, increasing comfort, and making their homes safer.
Get a Hand Weatherizing Your Home
While the above tips can help you weatherize your house, you could miss so many things that a professional can help with. This is why it makes plenty of sense to seek the help of a company that has sufficient experience in the industry. Colorado Insulation & Whole House Fans can help. Our clients frequently give us five stars for quality and affordability. We specialize in blown-in batt, soundproofing, spray foam, and drill-and-fill blow-in insulation.
Additionally, we offer radiant barrier attic foil along with Whole-House Fans from Quiet Cool and Airscape. Get in touch right away to schedule a no-cost, no-obligation examination with one of our experienced project managers.