5 Pro Tips For Air Sealing & Insulation To Improve Energy Efficiency

Posted in: Insulation

New homes are built with better insulation. If you bought a home that was owned before, it’s very likely you don’t have the energy efficiency you could.

A drafty home is uncomfortable to live in. A home that costs way more to heat than it should is frustrating. If you pay the bills, you know you don’t want to see those hard earned dollars wasted. And, you don’t want to be cold when you’re having to pay for all that heat during our Wisconsin winters.

Many homeowners realize the problem when they get their first energy bill after buying the home. Some will look for ways to increase the energy efficiency of the home. In doing so, they not only have a more comfortable, energy efficient home, they add to its value.

If you want an energy efficient home and want to stay comfortable inside year round, here are some tips from our pros at Oakwood Exteriors.

1. Get a home energy efficiency performance test.

This testing will tell you exactly where you may need sealing and insulation added to your home. Leaking air wastes energy, so it’s important to find out where the problems are. The home performance test is performed by a certified tester.

Oakwood Exteriors performs home performance tests in the Stevens Point area. We have the know-how, equipment, and certification.

2. Add insulation where it’s missing under the roof.

Missing insulation not only causes energy wastage, it also causes ice dams on the roof. Most often, the insulation is missing where outer walls meet the roof. These are tight spaces, so you probably don’t know there’s a problem. The energy performance test will reveal it.

3. Air sealing your Stevens Point home improves energy efficiency.

There are many areas of the home that need air sealing. A home performance test will reveal those tiny cracks and crevices where air is escaping. Usually, it’s around doors and windows, but can literally be anywhere including crawl space locations or around objects that project through the roof.

4. Install energy efficient replacement windows.

Another prime area where energy is normally wasted is through older windows. Advancement in glass manufacturing has increased in the last decade. Even if you replace yours with standard windows, you’ll see more efficiency. However, there are energy efficient windows today that have never been available before, so check into it.

5. Replace old siding.

There are options in energy efficient siding you can get today. Insulated siding helps the overall efficiency of the home. Insulation can also be added as an extra layer underneath certain types of siding. Call the pros at Oakwood Exteriors with questions.