Winterizing your home can save big bucks

Houlton Pioneer Times photo/Joseph Cyr
AIR LEAKS — One of the most common, and easiest to fix, problems with older homes is replacing the weather sealing around doors to keep the cold air out and the warm air in. Rick Michaud of County Home Improvements points out a possible problem area for air infiltration.
By Joseph Cyr
Staff Writer
    Fall is the time to start thinking about preparing your home for the long, cold winter that is just around the corner.
    Many winterization projects can be performed by the homeowner, but those who are uncomfortable or unable to do them, a number of general contractors can lend a hand.
    Rick Michaud, of County Home Improvements of Linneus, is one of the local general contractors who performs a multitude of carpentry and landscaping projects. He’s operated in this capacity for eight years.
    “Winterizing your home is the best thing you can do to cut down on heating bills,” he said. “Air infiltration is the No. 1 source of heat loss in a home.”
    Inspecting window cases both inside and out to see if there is proper caulking. Over time, caulking breaks down and needs to be replaced with a fresh seal, Michaud said.
    Replacing old, single pane windows with newer, double and triple-paned glass can save hundreds in heating bills, Michaud said.
    “With older windows, you can actually wiggle them and see gaps where air can come through,” he said. “If a person cannot afford to replace a window — which runs about $400 per window installed — the next best thing is to put plastic over it or caulk the window shut.”
    He added that storm windows have little to no value in terms of heat loss.
    “You might be able to keep a few draft outs, but that’s about it,” he said. “They really do not provide much in the way of energy savings.”
    Condensation on windows is sign of too much moisture in the house, which means the homeowner is losing heat somewhere in the house. Heat loss can be from the basement, attic or insufficient insulation in the walls.
Houlton Pioneer Times photo/Joseph Cyr
COMMON NO-NO — Venting a dyer out a basement window is an invitation for mositure and rot, according to Rick Michaud.
    “When moisture is in the house, it lands on your skin and makes you feel cold,” he explained. “When that happens people turn the thermostat up, which is just a snowball effect.”
    Homes with attics that are not heated should have a solid barrier between the two.
    “If you can see gaps in your doors, you are losing heat,” he said. “You can either replace the door with one that has an R-value or make sure the seal is tighter with new stripping.”
    For those homes that have a ceiling hatch to access the attic, Michaud recommends placing “blue board” insulation on top of the hatch and installing a weather sealant around the hatch to keep cold air from dropping down into the home and heat from escaping to the roof. When heat goes out through the eaves or roof of homes it can create dangerous icicles or ice dams that can damage your roof.
    Adding insulation to a home is another main energy saver, particularly in northern Maine. There are two ways insulation can be added to a home. A homeowner can tear out the interior wall and roll fiberglass insulation between the studs of the home. Or insulation can be blown into a home by cutting small holes either along the baseboards inside the home or by cutting a hole on the outside of the house. For those homes that have vinyl siding, Michaud said the common practice is to remove a strip of siding and drill holes between every stud. For homes that have clapboard siding, a new board is installed.
    “A good thing for people to do is to have an energy audit,” Michaud said. “They take an infrared camera, which sees hot and cold spots in your wall.”
    Placing foam barriers around all of the outlets on exterior walls is another quick way residents can prevent heat loss.
Basements
    “One of the biggest returns on investment when spending money on insulation is your basement,” said Michaud, who is also a weatherization technician for the Aroostook County Action Program. “Your walls should be insulated four feet down from the top of the sills with vinyl-backed insulation up against the foundation. That keeps a lot of the frost and cold out your basement.”
    For basements with a high amount of moisture, Michaud said it is likely due to a dirt floor or a crack in the foundation.
    Cellar windows are often neglected in homes, Michaud said. Many homes have two single pane small windows located at the ground level of their home. Those windows are often the source of many air leaks. Michaud recommends placing insulation in between the two windows and, if possible, placing plywood outside to cover the windows entirely.
    Insulating the joists offers another high return on investment, but is often neglected in homes.
    “There is an age-old adage of there is no such thing as too much insulation,” Michaud said. “After you insulate your basement, you want the heat to travel up.”
Chimneys and fireplaces
    The chimney is one of the most neglected areas when it comes to stopping air leaks, Michaud has found over the years. In most homes, there is a quarter-inch gap between the chimney and the walls that runs the length of the house.
    “Heat will rise along that chimney and exhaust into the attic,” he said.
    Michaud said he installs galvanized metal around the chimney in both the attic and basement, and then seals that metal with fire-resistant caulking.
    “Fireplaces are a huge source of heat loss,” Michaud said. “If you are not going to use your fireplace, go up inside and seal it off with blue board insulation so the heat doesn’t suck up through. A lot of old houses here in southern Aroostook have multiple fireplaces and are losing a ton of heat.”
    To learn more about winter weatherization projects, contact Michaud at 532-4246 (home) or 521-7458 (cell) or e-mail michaud.maintenance@live.com.