Keep Your Home Warm this Fall with These Tricks

While we are still enjoying summer temperatures here in Central Connecticut, the cooler weather has a funny way of sneaking up on us, which makes now a great time to start getting prepared for the change in seasons. Heating the house can get quite expensive in the autumn and winter, so I am going to tell you about few things you can do to keep your home comfortable without cranking up the thermostat.

Did you know that up to 25% of your home heating can be lost through old, drafty windows? If you put your hand up to your windows and can feel the air coming through, it’s time to have them replaced. You want to look for windows that meet or exceed the requirements set by ENERGY STAR®, the program set up by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy to help consumers save on their energy bills while also helping the environment. According to product manufacturer Harvey, replacing old windows with ENERGY STAR® windows can save an average New England home up to $465 a year. If now isn’t the right time for you to replace your windows, you can still reduce the drafty air coming through them by replacing any worn weatherstripping, and or even installing clear plastic film as a temporary solution to get through the season.

If cold air is coming through your doors, it might be a good idea to take a look at the sweep and inspect it for any damage. A new sweep is inexpensive to install and can help you retain more heat in your home. If you’re looking for an even simpler way to stop drafts, you can use a door snake, which is a long piece of fabric filled with plastic beads. You can even make one yourself using a knee sock and dry rice.

If you don’t have proper insulation and ventilation in your home, most of your heat is probably going right through the roof, literally. In fact, The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that proper insulation can cut as much as 50 percent off your heating bill. Take advantage of a free inspection from a local contractor to see how your insulation stacks up to the R-Value that’s recommended by ENERGY STAR® for our area. An R-Value is the measure used to assess insulation’s ability to resist heat traveling through it, and in Connecticut, the recommended R-Value is R49 to R60 for an uninsulated home and R38 to R49 for an attic that already has three to four inches of insulation.

If you’re worried about losing heat through your attic but adding insulation isn’t possible for you right now, one easy fix is to build an insulated box to sit inside the attic and over the hatchway. Just measure the opening of the hatchway and purchase some rigid foam sheathing panels that are cut a few inches longer than the opening. Assemble a five-sided box using heavy-duty duct tape and place it inside the attic, covering the hatch opening.

What are your favorite ways to keep the house warm during the autumn and winter? I’d love to hear from you. Send me a message on Facebook at www.facebook.com/odonnellbros.

Bob O’Donnell is the owner of O’Donnell Bros. Inc., a Bristol-based home improvement company established in 1975. To contact Bob for your remodeling needs, call O’Donnell Bros. Inc. at (860) 589-5155 or visit http://www.odonnellbros.com. Advice is for guidance only.

Keeping Cool as the Temperature Rises

The summer heat came out of nowhere this year, which left many people with nothing to do but crank up the air conditioning. Sure, a little A/C is a great way to provide fast relief, but keeping it blowing all summer long can do a number on your energy bill and your home. This week I thought I’d put together a few simple tips to help you keep cool, but first, here is a story that might make you rethink your current set up.

A few years ago, I was called to a house in Bristol for a leak repair. When I got to the home, I found that the entire ceiling had fallen onto the dining room table. We hadn’t had rain for weeks, so I was confused how the leak occurred. It turns out that the home had no insulation, and to combat the stifling heat seeping into the house from the attic, the homeowner had two window air conditioning units set on full blast all day. The cold air from the units and the hot air from the attic created condensation at such a high level that it completely deteriorated the plaster, causing the ceiling to fall in.

Having little or no insulation and ventilation in the attic will heat up your home like there’s no tomorrow. Most people think insulation and ventilation are only important in the winter, but they work as regulators, controlling warm air in summer and cold air in winter. Did you know that an attic can easily get up to 150 degrees on a hot summer day? Stand on a chair and put your hand as close to the ceiling as possible. If you feel heat radiating down, you might want to think about getting an inspection.

For a quick fix, one of my favorite tricks is installing an insulated box over the attic stairs. The hatchway between the house and the attic can be a gateway for hot air to get into the main home area, but a simple box frame made from insulated material will seal the gap and help the home stay cooler during these warmer months.

Another quick and easy tip is to purchase a programmable thermostat from the local hardware store. These typically cost around $30 and will allow you to set the temperature according to the times you’re at home. Sure, you may want the house to be 75 degrees before 9am and after 5pm, but during the day when no one is home, keeping the temperature higher will keep your energy bill lower.

Speaking of air conditioning, make sure your units are clean. I know so many people who store their air conditioners in the basement over the winter, where mold can grow and spread inside the filters. This, of course, circulates those spores right into the air you breathe.  Make sure to give all air conditioners a good clean before putting them in, and check and clean the filters and vents regularly to maintain good air flow.  

Use sunblockers or keep the shades drawn when the sun hits your house during certain times of the day. Alternatively, open windows and use fans when the sun goes down and the temperature gets cooler.  

Summer barbecuing is one of my favorite ways to cook, but not just for the taste. Using the oven and stove in the summer can heat up the house substantially, so we tend to cook as much of our meat and veggies in the smoker and on the grill as possible. Also, try to run major electrical appliances, such as dishwashers and clothes dryers at nighttime.  

What’s your favorite tip for keeping cool in the summer? Send me a message on Facebook at www.facebook.com/odonnellbros.

Help! My house temperature changes with the seasons

A question came in from a reader this week that I think will resonate with a lot of you. She asked:

“Dear Bob, my husband and I live in a Cape Cod that was built in the 1960’s.  The house gets unbearably cold in the winter and very warm in the summer, to the point where we almost can’t use the second floor. Why does this happen and what can we do to fix it?” 

Well, reader, you’re not alone. This is a common problem in Cape Cod style homes that were built in the 1950’s and 1960’s. Back then, building codes were much more relaxed and energy efficiency was unheard of, so homes were built with very little insulation or ventilation. What’s happening in your case is that the outside weather is coming in (because there isn’t enough insulation to protect your home against the intrusion) and then the air is getting stuck in the attic and seeping down into the second floor (because there is no ventilation to let it out). What’s worse is that the moisture in the air is also getting trapped; giving you a potential mold exposure problem that can easily go right from your attic into your lungs. 

So what do you do? First, test to see if I’m right. Take advantage of a free insulation inspection from a local area professional to see if your insulation is up to scratch. If you haven’t had the house insulated since it was built, I can guarantee it’s not. If you’ve recently bought a 1950’s or 1960’s home, now is the time to pay close attention.

Today, we measure insulation by its “R-Value” and the higher the R-Value, the better the insulating properties. In the 1960’s, R-Value wasn’t a popular unit of measurement and instead, most insulation was measured by its thickness in inches. To give you an example, if a typical 1960’s home was insulated at all, it was probably fitted with an R-10 value, which equates to a little over three inches of thickness. The recommended R-Value for Connecticut’s climate according to EnergyStar today is between R-49 and R-60 for an uninsulated attic and between R-38 and R-49 for a home with a few inches of preexisting insulation. So as you can see, times they are a changin’.

If your house is the victim of extreme temperature changes, the easiest and best way to regulate it is to build that barrier of protection. A professional can tell you how much insulation you need and can also perform an assessment to see if any mold has formed in the attic and walls. It’s key to remember that adding insulation will change the way your home breathes, so make sure it is fitted with proper ventilation to allow for appropriate airflow. If you just experienced a cold winter at home with energy bills to beat the band, this springtime project is one you can't afford to miss. 

Would you like more information or to request a free inspection? No problem, please feel free to get in touch.