Energy Saving Tips

Are you frustrated at the price of your electric and gas bills?

Before you call the gas and electric company check out a few of these energy-saving tips from Waters Handy Services and make sure you’re not letting your money fly right out the window.

How’s the insulation in your attic and walls?

Or maybe a better question is do you have any insulation in your attic and walls? If your home was built before 1980 there’s a chance there may be none. You may be unsure of whether there’s insulation in the walls but don’t go and carve any holes in your walls just yet. If there’s none in your walls blowing in insulation is a costly upgrade and the disadvantages to performing this seemingly smart upgrade significantly outweigh the advantages. Warm moist air over time seeps through the plaster or old drywall and causes moisture in blown in insulation which causes it to settle and hold moisture at its base. That can cause dry rot and break down your exterior siding.

Another issue is the amount of pressure that is built into the wall when installing the blown in insulation. The insulation is shot in at a high pressure in the hopes that it won’t settle and cause air gaps but that high pressure in older plaster/lathe walls can cause nails to separate, warping, and cracking.

If your house is drafty then there are better investments to make than blowing insulation into the walls. Weatherstrip windows and doors well and assess the exterior of the home to determine where cracks might be that are causing air drafts. If your windows are older/single pane, then make sure the glazing is in good shape and still sealed to the window well.

Insulating the attic to the proper R-value is a good investment. This is a much less invasive upgrade and your ceiling/attic is where the majority of the hot air escapes.

These are just a few energy saving tips to think about.

Give Waters Handy Services a call and let’s discuss more how we can get your house sealed up tight and more money in your pocket!