Air sealing is one of the most effective ways to keep your home comfortable and?minimize your energy use. Unfortunately, many?Intermountain West homeowners don?t even realize they need to have this energy-efficient home improvement done.
The purpose of sealing your home is to prevent your conditioned indoor air from seeping out into the atmosphere. Having this important weatherizing service will also reduce your heating and cooling costs, make your home more comfortable and improve the quality and safety of your indoor environment.
So, how do you know if you need air sealing? Ask yourself if you?ve noticed some or?all of these signs around your home.
No. 1:?You May Need Air Sealing if Your Power Bills Are Unusually High
Do you believe your power bills are too high, especially as compared to your neighbors? bills?
Talk to neighbors that have homes?similar to yours in size and age, to determine whether your bills are in line with the area. You can also obtain information for the local utility company?(such as Rocky Mountain Power?s?Home Energy Report) that shows you detailed information about your power use as compared to?other homes in your?neighborhood.
If your energy use is higher than your neighbors? ? and you don?t have any other obvious power hogs running at your home ? it?s time to schedule that air sealing project you?ve been considering.
No. 2: Consider Air Sealing If Your Home Just Isn?t Comfortable
Are you and your family always complaining that you can?t get comfortable in your home, temperature-wise? Do you notice that?the indoor?temperature fluctuates constantly? Do you have hot spots or cold rooms, as compared to the rest of the house?
All of these are strong indications that you are losing air through unsealed cracks and penetrations around your home.
If you?re running the air conditioner but some portion of your cooled air is escaping to the outdoors, your AC will cycle more quickly, run longer than it should, and?the temperature will pop up more quickly whenever the system cycles off.
Having the cracks in your home sealed can help prevent these frustrating issues.
No. 3: If Your Family Has Frequent Health Problems, Consider Air Sealing
Does your family have frequent colds or respiratory infections? Are you always complaining about your allergies? Do you experience itchy, watery or red eyes frequently?
Any of these factors could indicate the presence of mold, pollen or dust in your home ? typically the result of a poorly sealed structure. With air sealing, you will minimize dust, pollen and moisture as well as the health complaints commonly associated with those pollutants.
If you live in Utah,?Wyoming or?southern Idaho,?GreenHome Specialties is your locally owned and operated expert for energy-efficient home improvement services. Contact us today to schedule your free home energy audit and to learn more about how you can improve indoor comfort and cut your energy bills by?air sealing your home.
