Fall Maintenance Work Around The Home

< Sweet as the summer sunshine is, fall and winter are just around the corner. With cooler weather on the horizon, now is the time to inspect your home for air leaks before low temperatures and bitter winds turn your winter wonderland into a blue Christmas. Check out the tips below to ensure you’ve taken necessary precautions before the cool weather sets in. -Examine windows and doors for leaks and poor insulation. Weatherstripping (either with long-lasting bronze, or quick do-it-yourself plastic or rubber), caulking gaps, replacing storm windows or using a heat-activated shrink film to seal out the chill can all make a difference. Don’t forget to inspect your attic access door as well! -Hunt for gaps in the house. Basements, attics, and crawlspaces are good places to start. Seal smaller gaps with caulk and medium-sized ones with foam. -Inspect flues and chimneys for cracks and spaces. While some may have occurred during construction, over time the heating and cooling can result in fissures which allow the heat to escape from your home and let in the wintery air. -Insulate around recessed lights and check behind outlets and switch plate boards. -Check out your furnace and water heater as well. If you find an air leak, seal it with a flame-resistant material, such as sheet metal, sheetrock or furnace cement caulk. These are just a few of the ways that you can start winter-proofing your home. If you do not feel comfortable addressing your air leak concerns or if a more complex situation presents itself (like an air leak in a dropped soffit or the discovery of an open stud cavity in your attic), call a professional company like KennCo Construction to assess the situation and estimate the cost of repair.

For more information about these and other energy-saving tips and tricks, head over to the Energy.gov website at http://energy.gov/energysaver/articles/tips-sealing-air-leaks, and this winter, keep the cold outside.