Homeowners can save up to 20 percent on heating and cooling costs just by making small, energy-saving changes around the house. Here, Beyond Construction and Remodeling offers 15 simple ways to boost your energy efficiency.
1. Check the attic – weather-strip and insulate the attic access door.
2. Seal around the outside of the chimney with metal flashing and a high-temperature sealant such as flue caulk.
3. Seal around plumbing vents, both in the attic floor and in the roof. Check roof flashings, (where the plumbing vent pipes pass through the roof), for signs of water leakage while viewing the underside of the roof.
4. Have a radiant barrier installed in the rafters or joists of the attic. This will reflect the radiant heat that strikes it.
5. Incandescent fixtures should be upgraded to compact bulbs.
6. Seal all other holes between the heated space and the attic.
7. Replace any broken window glass.
8. Re-putty loose window panes.
9. Install new sash locks or adjust existing ones on double-hung and slider windows.
10. Caulk on the inside around window and door trim.
11. Weather-strip exterior doors, including those to garages and porches.
12. Install foam-rubber gaskets behind electrical outlet and switch plates on exterior walls.
13. Use paintable or colored caulk around bath and kitchen cabinets on exterior walls.
14. Caulk any cracks where the floor meets exterior walls. Such cracks are often hidden cracks behind the edge of the carpet.
15. Close the fireplace damper, when not in use. Make sure it closes tightly when a fire isn’t burning.
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