Sealing Your Drafty Home (and Save Money!)

Now is the time to think about your winter energy dollars. You can save on your heating bill by reducing air leaks in your home. One of the quickest dollar-saving tasks you can do is caulk, seal, and weatherstrip all seams, cracks, and openings to the outside. For a small initial cost, you may be able to save hundreds of dollars over the course of a year. Homes typically have two different kinds of issues: drafts and under-insulated. Hire a good home inspector to investigate your house and inform you of the problem areas. Check out nachi.org or ashi.org to find a certified home inspector in your area.

Heating a house pressurizes the inside air & drives it through ceiling penetrations into the attic, which draws in cold replacement air through every crack that it can. The first fix is plugging the air leaks into the attic area. This is the most effective way to eliminate the drafting through other areas. With the attic area addressed & the walls soon to follow, you will be on your way to an improved heating & air conditioning bill. Most homes have numerous places to suck in cold replacement air: bath fans, electrical outlets and switches, fireplaces, windows, plus any break in the exterior envelope. Sealing these leak areas will give you a much more efficient home!

Time To Clean Those Dryer Vents!

Dryer not drying as well as it should? Then it is time to clean your dryer vent! This is one of those chores that should be on your honey-do list every six months. Cleaning your dryer vent will not only improve your dry time, it may prevent an unsafe situation in your home. The US Fire Administration reports that clothes dryer fires account for about 15,600 structure fires, 15 deaths, and 400 injuries annually. “Failure to clean” is the leading factor contributing to clothes dryer fires in residential buildings.

Unplug the clothes dryer from the electrical outlet. (If it's a gas dryer, turn off the gas supply to the dryer at the appliance shutoff valve.) Pull the dryer away from the wall and vacuum behind it. Unhook the tube that leads to the vent and clear as much lint from the tube as you can. Rinse the vent hose in the sink until it is clean or use a shop vacuum to remove as much lint as possible. Check for holes in the hose. If you find any holes replace the vent hose. Take it to any hardware store and make sure to buy the same size and the right length. Grab that shop vac, go outside, and tackle the outside dryer vent as well. Locate the external vent and remove the vent cover. You may have to scrape away some caulk from around the cover. The foot-long vent tube should slide right out. Remove lint from inside the hole. Slide the vent tube back in and replace the cover. Head back inside, plug the dryer back in and run the dryer for a few minutes to make sure air is unobstructed while flowing through the vent.

Roof Problems

Roof leaks are not always caused by damaged or missing shingles. Roof problems may actually be due to broken or improper roof flashing. Repairing the flashing or providing new flashing may be all that is needed to make the roof watertight again. What is flashing? Flashing refers to thin continuous pieces of sheet metal or other impervious materials, offering extra protection at prone points of the roof. The function of flashing is to provide a watertight junction between roofing materials and roof projections or other parts of the structure, and between roof sections. The most common locations for roof flashing are at valleys,chimneys, roof penetrations, eaves, rakes, skylights, ridges, and at roof-to-wall intersections.

Many flashing problems can be reduced or eliminated by regularly scheduled inspection and maintenance. Save yourself the chore of repairing and painting ceilings and walls that were stained by water leaks and add 'check flashing' to your honey-do list.

Spring Home Maintenance

Ah...spring in almost upon us. We cannot forget about a few simple spring projects for our homes. These spring home maintenance tips are essential for problems not to build up. Home maintenance can save you big money on unnecessary repairs. With these home projects you can improve the longevity of your home.

• Check for loose or leaky gutters. Improper drainage can lead to water in the basement or crawl space. Make sure downspouts drain away from the foundation and are clear and free of debris.
• Low areas in the yard or next to the foundation should be filled with compacted soil. Spring rains can cause yard flooding, which can lead to foundation flooding and damage. Also, when water pools in these low areas in summer, it creates a breeding ground for insects.
• Use a screwdriver to probe the wood trim around windows, doors, railings and decks. Make repairs now before the spring rains do more damage to the exposed wood.
• From the ground, examine roof shingles to see if any were lost or damaged during winter. If your home has an older roof covering, you may want to start a budget for replacement. The summer sun can really damage roof shingles. Shingles that are cracked, buckled or loose or are missing granules need to be replaced. Flashing around plumbing vents, skylights and chimneys need to be checked and repaired by a qualified roofer.
• Examine the exterior of the chimney for signs of damage. Have the flue cleaned and inspected by a certified chimney sweep.
• Inspect concrete slabs for signs of cracks or movement. All exterior slabs except pool decks should drain away from the home's foundation. Fill cracks with a concrete crack filler or silicone caulk. When weather permits, power-wash and then seal the concrete.
• Remove firewood stored near the home. Firewood should be stored at least 18 inches off the ground at least 2 feet from the structure.
• Check outside hose faucets for freeze damage. Turn the water on and place your thumb or finger over the opening. If you can stop the flow of water, it is likely the pipe inside the home is damaged and will need to be replaced. While you're at it, check the garden hose for dry rot.
• Have a qualified heating and cooling contractor clean and service the outside unit of the air conditioning system. Clean coils operate more efficiently, and an annual service call will keep the system working at peak performance levels. Change interior filters on a regular basis.