(NC)-With winter just around the corner, homeowners are bringing out winter clothes from storage, packing away their gardening tools, lawnmowers, bikes and rollerblades. And at this time of year, homeowners are also questioning how they can cut costs on their heating bills.
"The first step in understanding how to help save money on your heating bills is to understand your home's natural heat flow system," says Andy Goyda, an insulation expert at Owens Corning Canada. "When you understand how heat travels in and out of your home, you can better understand what you can do to help keep the heat indoors."
Heat flows from hot to cold. You can help prevent warm air from escaping into your cold attic by installing insulation in between the joists of the attic floor and ceiling. Once the cavities are filled, add another layer of insulation running perpendicular, or across, the floor joists to obtain a minimum of R-40. Small pieces of insulation can then be used to fill small gaps. This is an easy do-it-yourself option that can be done using PINK fiberglas batt insulation, found at your local home renovation or hardware store. Consult manufacturer's instructions and your local building code for areas around chimneys or flues. To prevent batt insulation from obstructing the soffit vent, install ready-to-use raft-R-mate between roof rafters. If hiring a professional is more your speed, find one that specializes in PROPINK Blown Glass Fibre insulation, which produces a fast blow rate with minimal dust and static.
In addition to installing attic insulation, remember to do the little things that can make a difference in helping to cut your home's heating costs:
. Use caulking to seal drafts around windows and doors
. Install a programmable thermostat that can automatically adjust your home's temperature
Understanding how heat flows through your home is the first step to knowing how to keep the heat where it should be in the winter - indoors. Completing easy home improvements this fall may help recover your improvement costs through your heating bill savings over time. It will also help make your home a more comfortable place and may save you a few dollars for those holiday gifts this winter. For more information on attic insulation, call 1-800-GET-PINK or visit www.owenscorning.ca.
Credit: www.newscanada.com