The winter has finally arrived. While Sacramento might not get quite as chilly as some other places in the country, it can still get undeniably brisk during the winter, especially at night. This makes it important to have a home that is well-insulated, so you can stay comfortable without having to let your furnace work extra-hard, wasting a lot of energy in the process of maintaining a steady and comfortable temperature in your home.
With this in mind, here are tips from an insulation contractor in Sacramento, CA about steps you can take as a homeowner to be better prepared for the coldest time of year:
- Stay on top of HVAC maintenance: Regular furnace and HVAC maintenance can go a long way toward keeping you comfortable in the coldest months of the year. Make sure to change your HVAC filters periodically. This will help keep good quality air running through your home and also keep the system running more efficiently. Make sure you move anything away from the vents that could be blocking air from running through your home, including furniture and other items.
- Windows and doors: You can improve the insulation of your home by adding a layer over your windows and doors. For example, plastic sheeting can easily be installed over windows with nothing more than double-sided tape and a hair dryer.
- Change inserts in storm doors: If you have storm doors that have removable screen inserts, make sure you change the insert out to a solid glass pane. It can be very easy to forget to do this, especially if you don’t use that door regularly, but it can make a significant difference during the winter months.
- Protect the attic: Insulating your attic can be a bit costly if it hasn’t already been done, but it’s worth the effort considering the amount of energy and money it can save you in the long term. Put unbacked insulation between all the floor joists in your attic, or apply a second layer perpendicular to the joists if there’s already insulation between the joists. This will help you keep the heat in your house and away from your attic space. It can help to take similar steps in the basement as well, such as insulating exposed pipes and other areas that are closer to the outdoors.
- Seal doorways: Adding foam weather stripping around the inside of doors can create a seal and prevent air from flowing in and out of your house. You can find this product at just about any hardware or home goods store.
- Regulate heating zones: If you have the ability to set specific rooms in your home to certain temperatures, make sure you prioritize based on how much time you spend in each room each day and what you use those rooms for.
For more information about insulating your home and staying comfortable all winter long, contact an insulation contractor in Sacramento, CA at 5 Star Performance Insulation, Inc. with any questions. We look forward to assisting you!