How to Weatherize

Below are three steps towards weatherizing your home.  Whether you want to analyze your situation before making significant changes, or jump right into step two, you can start weatherizing your home today.

                        _____________________________________________

Step One: Conduct a Home Energy Audit

A home energy assessment is the first step toward improving the energy efficiency of your home.   You can hire a professional or do it yourself.

Professional Auditing Basics:

If you choose to hire a professional, choose an auditor like you would a contractor.  Home energy auditing is a sizeable investment and your savings can depend on the quality of the audit.

Why Use a Certified Home Energy Auditor:

  • An auditor will analyze your home to detect the sources of energy leaks in your home.
  • An auditor has access to more sophisticated tools, such as an infrared camera and a blower door (see Glossary) to give homeowners a more precise reading.
  • They will provide you with a detailed report at the end outlining their results and recommendations.

What Happens During a Typical Home Audit:

An audit typically costs $200-$400, and will last 2-3 hours.  An energy audit may consist of the following:

  • Background Information: On your home and your personal energy use habits.
  • Visual Tests:  Examine the outside and inside of the home, including windows and doors, analyzing the construction of your home and amount of insulation in walls and attic, and more.
  • Diagnostic Tests:  Your auditor should then use tools such as a blower door test or a duct leakage test to pinpoint the leaks.
  • Final Report:  Taking the collected data, an auditor will present a homeowner with an analysis of your home energy costs, specific tasks that can cost-effectively reduce a homes' energy consumption.

Visit the Home Energy Team website, or the Greenpower Living website for more details.

Watch this video to see some of the tools an auditor can use.

Find a Qualified Auditor:

  • Check the PEA Eco-Directory for a qualified Home Energy Auditor.
  • Check the Home Builders Association of Winston-Salem (HBAWS) list of member contractors, sorted by specialty (search under Home Performance Consulting for members doing energy audits).
  • Duke Energy assists with home energy audits.  Check their web site for a simple to use self audit. Or, request a free professional inspection of your home by Duke Energy. To schedule a home audit, visit their website and use the Contact Us form to request the visit, or call Duke Energy at 1-800-777-9898.
  • Home Performance with ENERGY STAR, a national program from the U.S. EPA and U.S. DOE, offers a comprehensive, whole-house approach to improving energy efficiency and comfort at home, while helping to protect the environment. Visit energystar.gov for ideas on how to save energy in your home.
  • The Building Performance Institute and the Residential Energy Services Network are both professional bodies that certify home energy auditors. You may also check the EPA’s Energy Star Listing.

On your own:

Hiring a professional may not be an option for everyone.  Checking your home yourself can still bring valuable insight into the status of your home's energy consumption.

Remember to check around these areas for leaks:

  • Between foundation and wallsCommon Household Air Leaks
  • Between the chimney and siding
  • Door and window frames
  • Mail chutes
  • Electrical and gas service entrances  
  • Cable TV and phone lines
  • Outdoor water faucets
  • Where dryer vents pass through walls
  • Bricks, siding, stucco, and foundation
  • Air conditioners
  • Vents and fans

                        _____________________________________________

Step Two: Select Your Project(s)

No Cost Weatherization Projects

  • On sunny winter days, open blinds, shades and curtains, especially if windows face south.
  • Close blinds, shades and curtains at night to help keep heat inside.
  • In the summer, keep heat out by closing window shades and blinds.
  • Remove window air conditioners in winter to eliminate air leakage around the unit.
  • Be sure the fireplace has a tight-fitting damper, and keep it closed when not in use.

Low Cost Do-it-Yourself Projects

  • Seal holes around outlets with an inexpensive outlet gasket.
  • Weather-strip doors and caulk windows.
  • Install door sweeps on doors leading to the outside, attic, or basement.
  • Blanket hot water heater.
  • Insulate hot water pipes wherever they run through unheated areas.
  • Plant shade trees and shrubs around your house, especially on the west side.
  • Hang inside window treatments.  Open and close them according to outside temperature.
  • Upgrade attic insulation to R-30 and under floor to R-19.
  • Place a heavy-duty, clear plastic sheet on a frame or tape clear plastic film to the inside of window frames.

Click here to see a table outlining different low cost projects, their benefits, estimated costs and savings, and links to more information.

There are many different kinds of products on the market.  Use these guides to see which one is right for you:

If you are extra ambitious, consider cellulose insulation.  85% of this blown-in insulation is made from  recycled wood fibers (newsprint)--almost twice the recycled material than what is in fiberglass.  Foam insulation is made of no recycled material.  See more insulation with all-natural materials here.

An article from Mother Nature Network recommends the following eco-friendly caulks:

More Expensive Projects that May Require a Contractor and for which you can Recoup your Investment over Time

  • Insulate and properly seal heating ducts where ever they run through unheated areas.
  • Seal air leaks around doors, windows, electrical outlets, and utility cut-throughs for pipes.
  • Seal air leaks around gaps around chimneys and recessed lights in insulated ceilings.
  • Add to ceiling and basement insulation.
  • Insulate walls.
  • Add storm windows and doors.
  • Upgrade drafty windows and doors to Energy Star rated products.

Click here to see a table outlining more expensive projects, their benefits, estimated costs and savings, and links to more information.

Take the Confusion out of Labels:

                        _____________________________________________

Step Three: Track Your Progress and Results

The Natural Resources Defense Council offers a step-by-step, month-by-month approach to reducing your energy consumption. You can join the My Simple Steps Community to get an idea of how you're doing already and to keep track of the savings (energy, water and money) you are making through simple adjustments to your home and lifestyle.  My Simple Steps keeps tabs on your results from its Household Savings Calculator and its quizzes, while also letting you know how you stand against the average member. Check out their easy to follow advice on how to save cash and reduce your carbon footprint. 

Weatherization Glossary
Continue to How to Pay for It
Return to Weatherization Home Page

 

These materials have been prepared for informational purposes only. They are not intended to be nor do they constitute legal, accounting, tax, investment or other professional advice.  The Piedmont Environmental Alliance (PEA) does not make any warranty, expressed or implied or statutory, about the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, product, service provider or process referred to herein.  References to any specific commercial products, processes, or services, or the use of any trade, firm or corporation name is for your information and convenience, and does not constitute an endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by PEA.  Therefore, please use this information as a starting point for your project.  Contact a professional for assistance and clarification.