In the spirit of our blog series "Spend a Dollar to Save a Dime", we thought we'd try something a bit different, just to mix it up!
So this time, rather than telling you how to avoid spending a lot of money unwisely, we'll tell you how to spend just a little bit of money very wisely!
So this time, rather than telling you how to avoid spending a lot of money unwisely, we'll tell you how to spend just a little bit of money very wisely!
Install weather-stripping on your doors and windows
Air leaks can account for as much as 30-40% of the heat loss from your house. Weather-stripping is one of the first steps you should take to stop wasting energy and save on the cost of heating your home.
Weather-stripping is a narrow piece of metal, vinyl, rubber, felt or foam that seals the contact area between the fixed and movable sections of a joint. Weather-stripping prevents air infiltration around windows and doors by eliminating gaps between the frames and the moving parts when they are closed. All exterior doors, as well as doors leading to an attic or garage, should be weatherized, as should all operable windows.
Some other benefits of weather-stripping include:
Improved window performance.
A more comfortable interior.
Reduced window condensation and related damage to frames and finishes.
A quieter home by reducing outside noise levels.
Keeps sashes from ratteling in high winds.
The typical cost savings for sealing cracks is aproximately $0.49 per linear foot. Your efforts will pay for themselves within three to five years.
Check out this David Suzuki video on installing weather-stripping:
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