Repairs and Maintenance

3 More Ways To Insulate Your Home This Winter

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If you didn't read the first installment of this blog, you can find the first three ways to insulate your home here. Keeping your house warm this winter is a great way to save money and keep you and your family comfortable. The best way to keep heat in and costs down, is to insulate your house!

1. Install weather-stripping or caulk

A source of drafts around your house are the cracks along your windows and doors. Weather stripping is a piece of rubber or vinyl that can be nailed onto the sides of doors or window, or stuck onto the seams. It closes the small cracks around your windows and doors and can easily be installed.

You can also caulk the seams of windows and doors outside. (Normally these are caulked where the sides of the window or the siding of the door meets the walls of the house.) These are both places where air seems to escape frequently.

2. Seal your ductwork

Ducts connect your furnace to the rest of your house, forcing air throughout your rooms and heating them. Studies have found that 10% to 30% of heated air is lost through drafts in vents. You can easily find drafts on ducts by holding your hand in front of seams of the ducts, and feeling if there is air coming out. You can use high quality tape or mastic, which is a type of putty, to seal these joints, if you want to do it yourself. You can also call a contractor who can help you and do the sealing for you.

3. Insulate your pipes

Sticking your hands and body under freezing cold water in the winter isn't generally something you enjoy doing while in the dead of winter. This is why most houses have a water heater; a large tank that heats water and distributes it throughout your house. Without a water heater, your water would be as cold as the ground the pipes are running through outside -- somewhere between 50 to 55 degrees.

You can keep your water hotter by insulating the pipes coming to and from your water heater. Insulating cold water pipes can prevent condensation and insulating hot water pipes can keep heat inside of the pipe, reducing energy bills. Using tubular insulation is the best option, as it is pre-sliced and can be cut to fit any length of piping. It can retail between $3.00 and $8.00 per piece.

If you have home warranty service and a gas or electric water heater, remember that your water heater is covered as long as you maintain your water heater. If you have home warranty service and do not maintain your appliances, there is a chance there can be sediment build-up, which can completely ruin your tank. You can get more home warranty service help and learn about why sediment buildup is bad for your water heater here, and how you can flush your water heater here .

Using this list, you can get through the winter months being safe, and keeping money in your wallet. Another good idea for keeping your house warm is to maintain your heater. If you have home warranty service with Landmark Home Warranty, there is a covered furnace tune-up that you can use at the beginning of every fall season.

If you do not have home warranty service and you are interested in covering your systems and appliances like your plumbing, electrical, oven, dishwasher and more with a Landmark Home Warranty, you can compare ourhome warranty service costs here or go to our website at www.LandmarkHW.com.

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