With winter on its way, it’s time to prepare the home for fall and winter. If you worry about peak energy bills for heating your home, think again. By taking the right steps now, you can reduce utility bills and save money.
Insulate Your Attic
By insulating your attic, you’ll be able to feel comfortable at home with the thermostat set to a lower temperature. This will help you save money every month. If you have an uninsulated attic, Energy Star recommends adding R49 to R60 to attic walls and R25 to R30 to the floors. If you’ve got 3-4 inches of existing insulation in your Cincinnati area attic, you can add R38 to R49 to walls instead.
When insulating the attic, take care around the eaves. If you cover the soffits with insulation, you could wind up with ice dams this winter. It’s important to maintain that airflow.
Use Programmable Thermostats
Programmable thermostats deliver a big savings relative to cost. You can program the thermostat to fire on before you wake up, then lower in the day while your home is empty. The thermostat can then click on in the evening so you arrive to a warm home, without paying to heat an empty house all day.
Seal Air Leaks
Air leaks around doors and windows let in cold air and allow heat to escape. As a result, you pay more to keep your home at a comfortable temperature. Use caulk or weatherstripping to seal air leaks around windows and doors. If your house has skylights, those need proper sealing too. A professional roofer can inspect skylight flashing, seal skylights, or replace an old skylight with a more energy-efficient model.
Apply non-expandable foam to air leaks around cabinets, vents, utility pipes, and other gaps in your home’s envelope. This foam is easier to use properly; expandable foam can expand too much after use.
Protect Your Roof & Attic Ventilation
Make sure your attic insulation doesn’t block ventilation by contacting Brandstetter’s KangaRoof. As a leading Cincinnati area roofer, we offer 17-point roofing inspections and a complementary attic analysis. We’ll tell you how well-equipped your attic is to insulate your home and fix any ventilation issues we find, to safeguard your home from ice dams, mold, and more.
Learn more about our roofing services, or reach out to schedule a free estimate.
