Energy Saver Guy

Posts Tagged ‘Windows’

Windows In the winter months, make sure your windows are not only closed, but also “locked”. I am in houses doing energy audits quite often in the winter and the people say “this room is always cold”, I say (as nicely as possible) well, why don’t we “lock” the windows closed! It cuts down air infiltration by large amounts! Do the math, a sixteenth of an inch times 16 windows is equal to 1 window open 1 inch. You would never consider doing that when it’s zero with a 30 mile an hour wind outside! In the winter, the sun can help you heat your house! When the sun shines in your home in the winter try to have it hit “dark” colored materials, they absorb more heat. In the summer, when the sun shines in your house, it hurts you by adding heat. The best thing to do is to have “light” colored shades so you reflect the heat back outside. The same exact info goes for skylights. Try to have the sun hit dark colored materials in winter, and light colored materials in summer.

PS. hang a white cloth or sheet over skylights in summer to reflect the heat back out!

Energy Saving Basement Window Insulation

If you have older single pane basement windows with the metal frame, it’s a good idea to make rigid foam panels to seal them in the winter months. Using 1-2 inch rigid foam board will increase the R value from 0 to as much as 6. The biggest energy savings, return on investment, comes from going from 0 or no insulation to 6-10.

Watch this Video to learn how to install rigid foam insulation in your basement windows.

If you’d like to keep light flowing into your basement, you can still use caulk to seal where the metal frame meets the cement blocks or concrete. Remember the tip about cobwebs, the more cobwebs, the more airflow. Try to seal areas with the most cobwebs first.