Tips for Heating Older Homes

If you live in Wisconsin, then you know heating your home can be expensive. The Department of Energy predicts that prices for natural gas and heating oil will rise again this winter compared with last.

Other than wearing a few extra layers of clothing inside, here are some easy tips for keeping comfortable in your home this winter.

Maintain Furnace & HVAC system

Before turning on your furnace, make sure your exhaust vents and radiators are clear of obstructions. Moving furniture can help maximize air flow throughout the house. Don’t forget to also replace your HVAC filter, this helps improve air quality and ensure your system is running efficiently.

Set Thermostat

Its that time of you year when you reset your thermostat for the winter months. Sealing off  and lowering the thermostat in rooms you don’t frequent can cut down on heating costs and keep common spaces comfortable.

Seal Doorways

Installing foam weather-stripping around the inside of your doors creates a seal and prevents air exchange. Often found at your local home improvement store, you can purchase double-draft stoppers that slide under your door to help cut down on air leaks when your door isn’t in use.

Seal Windows

Looking to improve the R-value of your home without upgrading your windows? Using double-sided tape, a hair dryer and plastic sheeting you can seal your windows and illuminate drafts from poorly insulated or old windows.

Attic Insulation

Improve the energy efficiency of your home by updating your attics insulation. In many older homes, attics usually have an insufficient thermal barrier whether that be on the rafters, floor boards or along the crawlspaces.  During winter, attic insulation prevents heated air from rising through the top floor and into the attic, and during the summer, it prevents super-heated attic air from seeping down into your rooms often battling air-conditioning. According to the Department of Energy, properly insulating the attic can save 10 to 50 percent on a typical heating bill. At BCI, we offer blown-in insulation, spray foam and sealing services for your attic or exteriors walls. Call to schedule a free estimate today and learn how much you can save on your next energy bill.

Attic Insulation

Improve the energy efficiency of your home by updating your attics insulation. In many older homes, attics usually have an insufficient thermal barrio and often leach heat from a home in turn increasing the energy bill. At BCI, we offer blown-in, spray foam and sealing services for your attic or crawlspaces. Call to schedule a free estimate today and learn how much you can save on your next energy bill.

If you experiencing dramatic cold spots or severe drafts within your house that you can’t seem to locate the source, call BCI Exteriors for a home performance assessment. A Home Performance Assessment, or Audit is a thorough inspection of your house’s energy efficiency. Through a series of tests we can identify how much energy your home uses, where it loses energy, and which problem areas should take priority at the time of the fix. As a result, we recommend ways to ultimately improve the comfort-ability and efficiency of your home.

To schedule your appointment today, call 262-703-9700 or connect online.

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