Taking steps to winterize now can save homeowners money later – Winston-Salem Journal

Although North Carolina residents arent usually forced to deal with multi-inch snowfalls very often, winter temperatures in the Tar Heel state do give heating and cooling units a workout while also decreasing the comfort level of homeowners trying to economize by lowering the thermostat.

Many local builders and remodelers spend fall and early winter months helping homeowners find ways to make their domiciles more efficient. However, there are also projects that individuals can add to the to-do list that will help raise the toasty factor during cold-weather months.

Erik Anderson is vice president at DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen, a division of Anderson-Moore Builders, Inc. Anderson is also a NC Certified Lead Professional, Certified Graduate Builder and Remodeler, a Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist and a Certified Green Professional and says that winterizing projects range from extensive undertakings to simple updates. John Orsillo is the owner of Renaissance Renovations and offers landscaping, renovation and home improvement services.

Spark: What are three to five easy steps that a homeowner can take to make his/her home more energy-efficient during cold weather?

Anderson: Make sure weather stripping is in place and in good condition around all doors. Test to see if you see any cracks or feel cold air blowing through.

Recessed lights allow for warm air to move up through your ceiling and into the attic. Even though you may have lots of insulation in the attic, insulation is a thermal barrier, not an air barrier. Air can still rise through the insulation and the recessed lights act as chimneys. Use a cap over the recessed light to minimize air flow into the attic. According to the Department of Energy, recessed lights account for 50% of the thermal loss in homes.

A lot of older homes have insulation in their attic that has settled or just is not enough compared to current code requirements. Look at the possibility of adding more insulation in the attic area. It can be something you can do on your own or have a company do it for you.

Orsillo: In winter, probably the most potential damage to a home can be caused by freezing pipes. Anything exposed should be insulated, and this is a job anyone with hands can do. Places like Lowes and Home Depot sell the different diameter sizes to cover pipes, already with adhesive on the back.

Another thing to do is change the filters in the heating system so it doesnt have to work as hard. Also, make sure the outside unit is clean and get the system checked by a professional. A clogged system can equal a lot of damage or a nonfunctioning unit. And its bad to have stuff in your gutters. Clogged gutters can lead to damage to the gutters and surrounding soffits. Either have someone clean them out or take a weekend and do the job yourself.

Finally, make sure you have good weather-stripping around windows and doors. Replacement windows and storm doors are a great investment. A single, full view glass storm door is usually between $250 and $350, plus maybe $75 installation.

Spark: What are some of the overlooked areas of energy inefficiency during cold weather months?

Anderson: Believe it or not, leaving the bath fan on for long periods of time. A bath fan can recycle the entire air volume in a house in a few hours. People need to use them to get the moisture out, so put a timer on it or get one with a humidistat in the unit that will turn off when the humidity gets down to a certain level.

Bonus rooms, the ones over garages or finished attic spaces will often tend to be cooler in the winter and warmer in the summer. Even if you see the insulation on the walls, sometimes there is not enough in the ceiling area. Maybe the previous homeowner did the work and simply put some insulation in the rafters, which will not be enough to meet current codes. Sometimes cold air will flow through the floor system, even though there is insulation in there, it does not stop air flow. Putting baffles in each floor joist cavity will help. Also, adding an air barrier, like Tyvek, over the insulation on the walls between the finished space and the attic will help minimize heat loss.

Orsillo: Most people dont go into their attic space very often, but the insulation in the attic should be checked out along with making sure there are no leaks. The correct insulation, correctly installed, can make a big difference in the amount of heat that escapes.

Spark: What are some of the services your company offers to help homeowners winterize their homes?

Anderson: We need to meet with the client to discuss what their issues are. Once we do that, then we can pull from our resources to get the company or companies that would address this issue. For example, a recent project dealt with the fact the client had moisture damaged sheetrock at the peak of their vaulted living room ceiling. After lots of research and meetings, we determined it to be inadequate insulation and, because of that, moisture in the house was condensing on the sheetrock and deteriorating it. We removed the sheetrock and insulation and installed a spray foam insulation with a much higher R-value than traditional fiberglass insulation.

Spark: What are some of the newest trends or technologies that homeowners should know about that improve the function of their home in cold weather months?

Anderson: As mentioned, spray foam insulation is a great product. Also, homeowners should look at the house as a system. If you put spray foam insulation in the walls and ceiling, your HVAC system will need to be modified because of this increased efficiency. Everything ties together in homes now. In the past, our houses leaked like a sieve, so there were constant air exchanges. House and remodeling projects are constructed so tightly now, we need to make sure all the parts work well together.

Orsillo: The NEST thermostats allow homeowners to more precisely program the temperature to specific schedules. And really, the old technologies like weather-stripping and insulation are still very important in making sure a home is winterized.

Spark: Along with winterizing, what are some of the projects homeowners can start considering for spring that might be larger and that will help long-term?

Anderson: Have a qualified HVAC contractor balance your HVAC system. Many homes do not have adequate supplies installed. It may not be the HVAC system; it may be the ducts of the HVAC system.

Lots of people look at finished basements and attics for inexpensive additional living space. These areas must be designed differently than the rest of the house because of the added thermal loss potential in the attic or decreased thermal loss in the basement (both of which are very different from the main level of the house).

Additionally, if you are going to do a spray foam attic, the time to do it is before it gets hot. Workers cannot work in the attics in the summertime for very long. If you want to suck out all the blown in insulation and spray the roof deck with spray foam, think about doing it now.

And if you have an older home, new doors and windows will make a huge difference. Single pane glass in windows is not very efficient.

Orsillo: A lot of the projects involve maintenance. Schedule annual check-ups for the HVAC system. Keep filters clean. Trim trees and bushes in the spring and fall. And just a simple thing shut off the water to outside hoses, drain the hoses and put them away. You can also get foam covers for outside water spigots.

For more information, contact Erik Anderson at (336) 722- 3625 or erik@andersonmoore.com or John Orsillo at (336) 813-2670.

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Taking steps to winterize now can save homeowners money later - Winston-Salem Journal