Weatherization shields your home from the elements, allowing it to resist rain, wind, snow, and extreme temperatures. Besides lowering home energy costs, it also protects your health and comfort, while reducing the risk of structural damage from storms and inclement weather. Though often thought of as “winterizing” your house, weatherization actually enhances energy efficiency year-round. But what is weatherization exactly? In this blog, we’ll examine common weatherization strategies, as well as weatherization programs designed to promote energy efficiency in middle-class and low-income households.
How to Weatherize Your Home
Weatherization involves more than a few isolated home improvements. You’ll need to size up your home’s structure, systems, and appliances with an energy audit in order to determine which upgrades will produce the greatest savings. Though these types of appraisals can be carried out on your own, hiring a professional will generally produce a more thorough assessment.
Auditors not only evaluate your home’s envelope (i.e. walls, doors, roofs, windows, and insulation), they also examine your HVAC systems, not to mention your lighting and electric appliances, such as your refrigerator and hot water heater. Fortunately, most weatherization work is relatively simple. Auditors typically recommend:
Air Sealing
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, drafts are responsible for 5-30 percent of the energy loss in the average home. By creating a pathway for outside air, they force your heating and cooling systems to run more often, resulting in higher utility bills. Windows and doors are the source of most air leaks. Moisture and temperature changes can warp the frames, creating cracks in the exterior of your home. Gaps may also open as the building settles.
Furthermore, in humid climates, air leaks often lead to elevated moisture levels inside your home, which lowers indoor air quality and places an additional burden on your HVAC system. During winter, excess humidity makes it harder for your furnace to heat rooms evenly, causing it to cycle more often. It can overwork your air conditioning as well. Though air conditioners are designed to prevent excess moisture, extreme humidity forces your cooling system to run non-stop, creating a noticeable spike in energy use.
Sealing air leaks is simple. Caulking door and window frames will prevent air from entering through breaks in your home envelope, while weatherstripping exterior doors will prevent air and moisture from seeping in underneath.
Upgrading Insulation
More heat escapes through your roof than any other part of your home. By some estimates, homes with uninsulated roofs lose up to 25 percent of the heat they generate. What’s more, as heat escapes, it typically melts the snow on your rooftop, which can trickle down and refreeze in your gutters, forming ice dams that lead to water infiltration and structural damage.
Insulation generally lasts for roughly 15-30 years. Some, like rock wool and rigid foam board, can last as long as 100. However, moisture, pests, and pollutants can cause it to break down faster. Homeowners should check their attic insulation at least once a year to ensure its effectiveness and confirm its condition. If you discover mold, damage, and uneven layering, consider adding fresh insulation to help keep energy consumption under control and prevent icy buildup inside your shingles and gutters.
Improving Ventilation
Corrosion, poor insulation, improper installation, fluctuations in air pressure, and age-related wear and tear can create cracks or loose connections in your ductwork. Rodents and pests have even been known to chew through vents, leaving holes for air to escape. A leaky ventilation system can lose 20-40 percent of its heating and cooling energy. In most cases, once a leak has been identified, sealing it is relatively straightforward. Metal-backed foil tape is an effective solution for small openings, while a layer of mastic sealant will close large ones.
Weatherization Assistance Programs
The U.S. Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) is a federally-funded initiative that helps income-eligible households upgrade their homes at little-to-no cost. Services vary depending on the state of your house, but may include:
- Sealing air leaks
- Insulating your walls, attic, and floors
- Servicing your heating and cooling systems
- Installing low-flow water fixtures
- Testing for carbon monoxide
- Installing advanced energy efficient light bulbs and appliances
Though any household in need is encouraged to apply, priority is given to homes with seniors, young children, and people with disabilities. Homeowners who are ineligible for direct payments can take advantage of rebates and tax credits designed to encourage weatherization. The two largest federal incentives are the Energy Efficient Home Improvement Tax Credit and the High-Efficiency Electric Home Rebate Act, which cover energy-saving measures for your insulation, windows, doors, and ductwork. Applicants can recover up to 30 percent of their costs through the tax credit (capped at $1,200) and $8,000 through the rebate program, depending on your income and the type of work you’re performing.
Additional support is available through local governments as well. New York provides subsidies for insulation and air sealing, while Pennsylvania provides similar rebates for individuals at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level.
Save on Home Repairs with Agway
Protecting your home saves money in the long-run. Repairs can cost you hundreds of dollars, enough to seriously compromise your monthly budget. Wear and tear is the most common type of damage homeowners encounter day-to-day. Home insurance doesn’t protect against these types of malfunctions, but Agway does. Our EnergyGuard™ Repair Program covers your heating, cooling, and electrical systems from damage caused by daily use.
Our service team is available twenty-four hours a day, 365 days a year in the case of an emergency. We maintain a network of qualified HVAC contractors in all our service areas. When the need for repair occurs, we send the first available one straight to your door. There are no service fees or deductibles either. We pay for the cost and all covered parts. Don’t let a malfunction upset your finances. Sign up and start enjoying the benefits of EnergyGuard™ today!
