Partnering with the right team will ensure you get your home personally ready for whatever Old Man Winter throws your way. Experience isn’t innate so choose your “captain” for your winning home readiness play-by-play from an expert in home maintenance and improvement. Today’s focus rushes the crew toward insulating success, weather stripping care, carbon monoxide alleviation, saving the gutter fascia, and playing chimney sweep for winter.
Alex the Auditor calls in the first squad to access the insulation. Cellulose from recycle products and beneficial for pest control, thermal resistance and wallet friendly leads the list. Synthesized fiberglass for noise reduction lays ready for the top plate of the walls, and Rockwool, made from basalt rock and recycled slag with a higher combustion threshold than fiberglass loads up the work truck with the needed arsenal to fight against energy loss. The key is knowing when to use each. For a keen eye on the attic and its needs, Alex affirms, “The major things to fix in this attic to get it ready for winter: air sealing penetrations between the house and bringing the insulation up to adequate levels and picking a strategy that makes sense. Not a hybrid.”
Each house requires a complete look-over, as noted in our recent case study. Make a clear-cut decision that will create a winning play. “Either we’re insulating at the roof deck or the floors in the vertical, but we’re not going to do both.” The house needs the heat, not the attic so the roof area should get the necessary ventilation. Alex warns, “Otherwise, we’re just going to trap heat in here over the summer.” Yes, a true pro always knows the reasons for the home repair.
Keeping to the home’s integrity or architectural era will guide the selection of weather stripping. Drafts and escaped heat during the frigid weather will certainly dampen the game day cheers. Choose from vinyl to metal to stop Old Man Winter’s attacks. Vinyl with a variety of textures and colors will hold up well and resist moisture. Copper, stainless steel, and aluminum impress with the durability and will match the home’s design. The essence, however, rests with saving money on energy costs. A blower door test with a trusty incense stick will show exactly where the problems reside. Winter does keep everyone inside, so make sure the heat remains inside too. Yes, adequate ventilation pairs up with this cozy house feel, but also make sure your game day party doesn’t have any unwelcome guests like carbon monoxide elevated levels. Make sure your life-saving gauges are standing ready and alert this winter. Did you know if you feel a bit lightheaded, have an increased heartbeat, or a rushing feeling in your head, you may have a carbon monoxide issue? Tally up the score and take care of that circulating air in your home readiness plan.
Before the stinging wind dashes around your home, climb up a ladder and check out the gutter fascia. If moss or mildew or even rotting sections of the wood reach your purview, call in the offense to run some needed repairs. If left untouched, water damage to attic insulation or costly interior wall damage will ruin your wintertime budget. Yes, some funds will put a block on the encroaching financial “storm” and some BeSmart Energy Efficiency Loanprograms will ensure stress-free winter readiness. While examining the gutters, take a gander at the chimneys and make sure no more than one-eighth inch of creosote or soot line the flume. Once again, paying a chimney sweep may save your home from an unfortunate winter fire. If unsure of the fireplace’s readiness, ask yourself these questions. “Is there more ash than wood on the grate after a fire?” “Do you see dark soot flowing from the flume at the rooftop?” If you answered, “yes” to either of these questions, then protect your house like a pro. Time to invest in some maintenance. Energy Efficiency Experts knows the time needed for taking out the playbook and mapping out the game plan for not only achieving a comfortable home, but also a wallet friendly energy plan for the visiting team, Old Man Winter. The key is stress free, so give us a call at 202-557-9200 to lead your team to a Winter 2024-2025 victory!
