If you’ve put gas in your car recently, you’ve noticed that prices have gone way up. It is very likely that the situation in Ukraine will have a similar impact on home heating costs. We’re just coming out of winter in Cohasset, but it’s not too soon to start thinking about how you will keep your family warm next year.
Create a Strategy that Avoids Wasting Heat
When fuel is very expensive you want to make sure you’re using it wisely. This means having a strategy in place to avoid wasting heat. Believe it or not, you do already have some elements of this strategy in place. You don’t leave your doors and windows wide open, no matter what the weather is – because, among other reasons – it would get much too cold indoors.
Insulation is a great way to help your home retain heat. Here in the Cohasset area, it’s important that a home’s roof and walls are all insulated appropriately. Insulation keeps the heat from travelling through your roof and walls to the great outdoors. It’s a buffer layer that keeps the warm air in. There are many different types of insulation, each of which comes with a r-value that indicates where it’s best used. For your walls, you’re going to want an insulation with an r-value of at least 20, and if you’re putting insulation in the attic, that r-value should be in the 49-60 range.
The other major source of heat loss is windows and doors. Just like heat can travel through a roof, it can easily escape through leaky windows. Energy efficiency experts say up to 40% of your home’s heat can be lost this way. Upgrading to replacement windows can help significantly reduce this heat loss. It’s a very cost effective home upgrade. Want to learn more? Here’s how to connect with a Cohasset window contractor.