Once the weather starts to cool down, it’s time to take some green actions at home to make sure your house can handle the upcoming chilly weather without a huge drain on resources or your wallet.
One action step you can take is to make sure your home is properly sealed up. If you built an energy efficient home to start with (or moved into one), then sealing is a chore you can probably avoid. Newer, and well-built energy efficient homes already take heating and cooling needs into account. However, if you live in an older home, apartment, or other dwelling that has yet to be properly remodeled for efficiency, then sealing is a must.
Sealing can save you hundreds of dollars a year on your energy bill, and sealing helps to reduce the amount of CO2 that emits into our environment each year as well.
Sealing basics:
Sealing is cool, because it’s fast and easy for most people – even if you’re non-handy. Basically you’ll be checking the spaces around windows, doors, crawl spaces, the attic, basement, and even lighting fixtures for incoming air or cracks. Sealing is also a super inexpensive fix. Every general hardware store carries materials like caulk, weather stripping, window plastic, and more for a song. Sealing will pay for itself very quickly, and your family will be more comfortable in your home.
If you need a quick primer about sealing your home for winter, take a look at Weekend Project: Air seal your home from the ever helpful Lifehacker. Another good guide is Getting Energy Ready for Winter from the California Energy Commission.