If you are looking to tackle a new home improvement project in your home, you may want to consider making it one that will reduce your long-term energy costs. Sure, we all like home improvement projects that result in making a home more beautiful and attractive, but not all home improvement projects are as glorious as the ones that you may see on television.
Choose a Project
There are multiple home improvement projects that can dramatically reduce the costs of your heating and cooling bills year-after-year. With the rising costs of energy, these types of energy saving projects are more important than ever. Some of these energy saving projects will create a great return on investment over a period of time. If it costs you $50 to complete the project, it is reasonable that you could save $50 on energy bills within the first six months of completing the project, if not sooner.
There are many different types of energy saving projects that can help you to save energy on your heating and cooling bills. Let’s take a look at just a few examples of projects that you can take on yourself.
One project that can reduce energy costs is to seal cracks and find those pesky drafts that plague your home. You may not feel them as much in the summer time, but in the winter you certainly notice all of those drafts and air leaks when a cold breeze hits you.
Exterior Doors
One area where you will frequently find air leaks is around the exterior doors of your home. Here, there are a few things that you can do to eliminate those leaks.
One is to make sure that your door seals at the bottom against the weather stripping. Replacing the weather stripping is a much better long-term solution instead of buying one of those stuffed animal looking things that lay against the bottom of the door. You could spend a couple of dollars on one of those things, but this is not a permanent solution and most people don’t think to use them in the summer time. Replacing the weather stripping is generally a simple project and is quite affordable.
Sealing your exterior doors may also mean replacing, or putting in, a storm door. Storm doors come in all types of materials and prices. A good storm door can go for about $200 and will yield you the energy savings that you are looking for. It is not necessary to go with the really outlandish and expensive storm doors with a foam core, when you are looking for ways to save on you heating bills.
Sealing Cracks and Holes
Another way to save money on your energy bills is to seal the cracks in your home. These cracks can be found around window seals, the homes foundation, attics, and basements. A quick and easy fix for these air leaks is to simply buy some caulk and a caulk gun and fill these holes. The cost of doing this will be about $10 and will pay for itself in no time at all. This is by far the easiest and cheapest thing that you can do to reduce your homes energy bill.
Adding Insulation
Adding insulation is another way that you can save a bunch of money on your homes’ energy bills. Many people think of insulation as something that helps keep your home warm in the winter, but it also helps to keep the cool air in your home during the summer as well.
Some insulation projects are do-it-yourself projects that are rather painless to undertake. For example, if your attics’ floor is not insulated, you may want to consider roll out insulation. All that is required to install this is measuring the appropriate length and width and unrolling the insulation.
Another insulation option is to hire a professional insulation installer to put in blow-in insulation. This is a great option for those impossible to get to spots. You may have excess space between interior and exterior walls of your home. If you do not want to tear out the walls of your home, blow-in insulation is an easy solution. Blow-in insulation can also be used in attics and basements. Of course hiring a professional to put in blow-in insulation is not exactly cheap, but in the long run it will eventually pay for itself with the money that you are saving on your home energy bills.
Now get to work on finding the best way that you can seal your home up. You will certainly notice the difference when you heating and cooling bills come each month. And, as you count your savings, you will be glad that you spent the time and money on these simple home improvement projects.
This article published here.
…
Emerson Lockwood writes on topics related to Home Technology, Home Improvement and Home Financing. You can see more of Emerson’s home improvement articles here. The Super Home Ideas website provides many resources for the Do-It-Yourselfer, including the Super Home Ideas link directory. Super Home Ideas covers everything to do with your home: Home Improvement, Home Repair, Buying and Selling a House, Financing a Home, Buying Homeowners Insurance, Gardening and Landscaping. http://www.SuperHomeIdeas.com
Read more articles written by Emerson Lockwood
Related posts:
- Why a Home Solar Panel Will Save You Money and How You Can Get One for Free
What is a home solar panel how can it save you money? In short, solar panels are a viable and eco-friendly option for homeowners who want to heat and cool their home efficiently using the sun... - Vacation Apartments In Florence: Save Your Money And Feel At Home
Florence is arguably one of, if not the, most beautiful cities in the world. It is on virtually everyone’s “places to see” list and the best way to see a city like Florence is like a local. It is a city best taken in slowly, the same way you would... - PAY YOUR BILLS ONLINE AND SAVE
Nearly one-third of U.S. consumers pay their bills online, says Judy Wicks of CheckFree, the leading provider of electronic-billing and payment services. Probably the easiest way to pay your bills online is to use a safe, encrypted service-offered by banks, credit unions, brokers and companies such as AOL, MSN, Quicken... - Indoor Outdoor Rugs Are A Useful Addition To Any Home Decor Project
Polypropylene area rugs are a great choice as they can be used indoor or outdoors. Each of these rugs is created with a 100% polypropylene yarn that is then carefully constructed in a cablelock style using acrylic fabric. By using polypropylene these very special rugs have proven to have far... - The Appropriate Use Of Color And Light Can Enhance Your Next Home Decoration Project
When decorating, a common challenge that many people face is attempting to make a relatively small space appear larger. Fortunately there are several decorating techniques that can be used to achieve a more spacious look. First, and perhaps most important, the proper use of color will go a long way... - Tips for Homeowners: Simple Measures You Can Take to Save Your Home from Fire
You may have homeowners insurance that provides coverage for damage to your home resulting from fire, but this coverage cannot protect your loved ones or memories in the case of fire, it only covers material objects. Every year, 4,000 Americans die in fires, and the vast majority of those deaths... - Thrifty Ways to Save Money
Saving for an emergency need not be a chore when you are making a good effort to put money aside constantly. Be in a mood of saving and watch as that bank account accumulates. Instead of buying a new DVD, save money by trading with family and friends. Once a... - Yes! You Really Can Save Money
Sometimes, saving money may seem impossible. You buy groceries on Monday, pay bills on Tuesday, and by Wednesday your paycheck has disappeared. However, if you establish a savings plan, you’ll “find” money in places you’ve never thought to look! If you’re like most American families, you wait for “extra” cash... - 7 Serious Ways to Save Money – Not for the Faint of Heart
Do you truly want to save? Take a serious look at how you spend and then change it. Quit smoking those cigars, take in a roommate, park your car-and you’ll save as much as $10,000 a year. It really is just as easy as all that! Are you finding it... - How Does Solar Energy Work?
Many people today are trying to save money on their energy bills and one of the more popular ways is through using solar energy. How does solar energy work? Energy from the sun in the form of heat and light is abundantly available to everyone on Earth, even in places... - The Top 5 Reasons to Insulate Your Home This Summer
For homeowners who have been considering adding home insulation – this summer is the time to do it. 1.) Last Chance for the Energy Tax Credit – This is the final year that homeowners are eligible to receive an energy tax credit for adding home insulation. The American Recovery and... - More Creative Ways to Save Money
Shop for clothing at thrift shops (especially for young kids). Look for gently worn or even new clothes for 1/10 the price of new (or less). Pay your bills online. It’s protected and you can save with stamps. Put your kids on the school bus rather than driving them to... - How to Save Money on Your Wedding – Even During a Down Economy
Weddings are expensive to plan at anytime, but during the current economy, it can seem downright impossible to pull off the perfect wedding. But have no fear brides, for there ARE ways to have your dream wedding without breaking the bank. Follow these foolproof tips to stay within your budget,... - How to Save Time, Money and Effort with Enterprise VoIP Software
Today’s economy requires all business to use all the enterprise resources most effectively. An IP telephony network is not an exception. From this article, you can learn how to: automate client request processing and release your staff to fulfill more complicated tasks with a voice portal; save your client time... - Project Management Basics for Telecom
Telecom projects, like any other project, need special attention if you want the project to be successful and done on a schedule. One way to proceed on a telecom project is to hire a telecom management professional to oversee the project. Another way is to use a project management software...