How to Make Your Home Energy Efficient
(Page 3 of 7)
October/November 2008
By Dan Chiras
Seal cracks. Sealing cracks in the building envelope is one of the easiest and most cost-effective measures a homeowner can take. For those who want to do the work themselves, I strongly recommend that you purchase the best caulk you can find. Don’t skimp on caulk just to save a few bucks per tube. Ask a knowledgeable hardware store employee which products are the best and then spend the extra money.
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For small gaps, around windows for example, use a high-quality silicon paintable caulk. Larger gaps can be filled with expandable foam, which comes in spray cans. I use Great Stuff insulating foam sealant (red can) for smaller openings — those too large for silicon caulk — and Great Stuff insulating foam sealant (blue can) for the largest openings. Very large openings can also be filled with backer rod, a flexible material that is stuffed into openings.
In your quest to tighten up your home, you will also likely need to seal wall switches and electrical outlets. They can be easily sealed by installing small, inexpensive foam gaskets, which are available in local hardware stores and building supply stores. To seal a switch or electrical outlet, even on inside walls, remove the cover plate, then insert the foam gasket and screw the cover plate back in place.
Install insulation. Another energy-saving strategy is to add insulation. As a rule, the older your home, the more insulation you’ll need to add. Professional energy auditors will likely recommend increasing insulation to meet local building codes. Although such changes will increase the energy performance of your home and sharply decrease utility bills, I strongly recommend that homeowners go beyond the insulation standards in most jurisdictions. Even if your local building department has recently upgraded its building code, the best energy efficiency is achieved when builders and homeowners go beyond the required levels by at least 30 percent to 40 percent. That’s what top-notch solar builders are using in their homes. Insulating well above the energy code will cost a few hundred dollars more than merely meeting code, but is worth it in the long run.
Insulate wall cavities. Many older homes have no insulation at all in their exterior walls. Filling these cavities with insulation is, therefore, vital to achieving comfort and savings. Fortunately, there are several ways to do this. Most often, installers drill large holes in the siding from the outside or in the drywall from the inside, accessing each cavity (the space between adjacent studs) individually. They then either blow in cellulose insulation (made from recycled newspapers) or apply a liquid foam product that expands to fill the stud cavity. The holes used to access the interior of the walls are then repaired and repainted. Wall insulation retrofits can be difficult and are generally best left to experienced professionals.
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