Fall is upon us and now is the time to start preparing your house for winter. With energy prices sky-rocketing, making your house more energy-efficient will help you achieve significant savings on your bills. The following list provides a variety of maintenance items to check each fall, to help ensure that your home is up-to-par for winter weather. For an actual energy audit of your home, go to http://www.homeenergysaver.lbl.gov/ for more information.
• Have chimney cleaned and inspected
• Inspect roof and flashing
• Check attic to confirm there is adequate insulation (recommended R-49)
• Make sure attic has enough ventilation (1.5 in per sq. ft. of attic floor space)
• Check caulking on windows and doors,
• Install storm windows (if applicable)
• Install weather stripping
• Inspect exterior walls for cracks or deterioration
• Clean and repair gutters
• Insulate basements and crawlspaces
• Insulate water pipes
• Winterize outdoor plumbing (hose faucets)
• Check basement foundation and windows for deterioration
• Seal driveways
• Get a check-up & cleaning of hot water heater, furnace and other heat-related appliances (such as gas logs)
• Clean/dust vents , baseboard heaters and cold-air returns
• Clean/replace furnace filter
• Install digital set-back thermostat
• Pressure-clean and treat/winterize decks
• Check smoke alarms and batteries
• Check (or install if not present) carbon dioxide detector
• Clean and reverse ceiling fans (to send air up for heat versus down for air conditioning)
• Clean and lubricate garage door hinges, rollers, and tracks; tighten screws
• Winterize pool/sprinkler system
Links:
• http://www.homeenergysaver.lbl.gov/
• http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/html/seasonals/fall_fixup.html
• http://www.ornl.gov/~roofs/Zip/ZipHome.html
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