Weatherization

SERVING LOCAL FAMILIES, LIKE YOURS, FOR OVER 100 YEARS!

Properly seal and insulate your home from air leaks

Air escaping from your home can account for up to half of its energy loss. Air entering your home from the attic or foundation can bring mold and dust with it, creating a variety of health hazards. Properly sealing and insulating your home can protect it from above and below, cutting energy costs and increasing comfort in the process.

Call UGI Heating, Cooling & Plumbing to see how you could start saving and breathing easier today: 1-833-980-3496

Air Leaks

Despite those winter drafts you may feel as you pass by a window or a door, the biggest source of air leaks in most homes actually comes from the attic and basement. Until you seal them, these two areas will waste most of your energy dollars.

Air Sealing

Fortunately, properly sealing cracks and openings in your home can significantly reduce heating and cooling costs, improve building durability, and create a healthier indoor environment. Start in the attic. Effective attic air sealing requires insulation levels to be at least R-38. If yours is lower, you’ll need to add more insulation. To realize the full benefits of greater insulation, however, you’ll also have to seal any air leaks. In the basement, air leaks are commonly found at the top of the basement wall where the foundation meets the wood frame. The sill plate should be foamed or caulked to reduce air infiltration. Air can also enter the rim joist, so be sure to seal the bottom and top of the rim joist as well.

Insulation

To resist heat loss, your home needs proper insulation. The more heat loss resistance your insulation provides, the lower your heating and cooling costs. Heat naturally flows from warmer to cooler spaces. In the winter, this heat flow moves directly from all heated living spaces to adjacent unheated attics, garages, basements, and even to the outdoors. Heat flow can also move indirectly through interior ceilings, walls, and floors – wherever there is a difference in temperature. During the cooling season, heat flows from the outdoors to the interior of a house. To maintain comfort, the heat lost in the winter must be replaced by your heating system, and the heat gained in the summer must be removed by your cooling system. Properly insulating your home will resist and thereby decrease this heat flow, reducing energy costs. To make sure your home is properly insulated, insulation levels should be checked in your attic and walls. Depending on when your house was built, insulation levels can vary significantly. Installing insulation to the recommended Energy Star levels can help to reduce your energy bills and help make you feel more comfortable in your home.