CHARLOTTE, N.C. — As cold weather comes, more people are getting services to seal their attic, doors and windows.
What You Need To Know
- Insulation companies are seeing more calls as cold weather moves in
- Experts say 20-30% of your hot or cool air can be lost due to holes and leaks, which also raises your energy bill
- Sealing drafts around doors, windows and attics can help save you an average of 15% on your energy costs
Joseph Rezentes, owner of Home Shield Insulation, says now is the time the company starts to get a lot of calls.
"Just from people complaining about their energy bills being way too high and they feel a lot of cold drafts going through their home," Rezentes said.
He says if some of the rooms in your home are colder than others or feel drafty, it could be a sign you need to seal your home.
"So what happens is the heat in the house - the hot air - rises up," Rezentas said. "Those penetrations allow the hot air to escape up into the attic. Which of course, we don't live in the attic, we don't need it up there."
He says a spray foam gun and windows and doors spray foam could do the trick to seal cracks and holes in the attic. And weather stripping could be a good resource to seal windows and doors.
Energystar says before sealing, 20-30% of your hot or cool air can be lost to holes and leaks. The company says sealing it can save an average of 15% on your energy bill.
Rezentes says beyond saving energy, your HVAC system will not have to work as hard and it could expand its lifespan by three to five years.