subject: Diy Home Improvement Projects The Save You Energy [print this page] Often times, a home improvement "do it yourself" project can come coupled with the idea of tons of times spent laboring over a task that never quite looks like it did in the book or on the guide. Some can even equate a DIY project to a tacky craft recreated from someone's Pinterest page. While these things may be true in some cases, a well planned DIY project has the potential to save you a lot of money and if thought out well, can also cut down on your monthly energy bill. Below are some great tips and simple projects that will hopefully lighten some financial stressors in your life.
A huge part of a household's monthly energy bill can go to keeping things warm in the winter months. Cold air can enter your house in a variety of ways but the most common is through a drafty window or some small cracks between doorways. To eliminate these drafts consider the benefits of putting good stop draft curtain around a pesky window. Draft curtains can be purchased in a variety o styles, colors and sizes. For the more ambitious folk, and those that are skilled with the sewing machine, making a few means nothing more than a few moments spent at your machine. With the purchase of a curtain rod, this whole DIY project can take less than 10 minutes.
Another great way to save money on your heating and energy bill can be by lowering that thermostat just a few degrees and compensating for the change with a space heater or heating lamp. The US Department of Energy has estimated that for every degree that you lower your thermostat your bill will be decreased by 1%. Space heaters are a natural pick due to their per room usefulness. Central heat will expel warm air into every room in the house, often times, rooms that go unused on a day to day basis. Employing a space heater while turning down your thermostat can save a few bucks each month on your heating bill.
Cold air loves to sneak it's way into your home in a variety of ways, like drafts, a basement leak can let cold air into your house, sabotaging your efforts to heat up your home via central heating. Sealing these basement leaks can lessen the burden your heater has to go through to keep your home warm. To start, you will need to buy some silicone or latex caulk and then located the source of the leak. Inspect your basement for areas where there is an excess of cold air entering from loose plates or cracks. When an entry point is established, apply the caulk to the source of the leak and wah-lah, you have successfully plugged a financial drain for your energy bill.
Often times you are aware there is a cold spot or draft in your house but can have a little bit of trouble finding it to finally getting around to eliminating it. To alleviate this problem, use a cold spot indicator. The device, which is relatively cheap and available at any home improvement store is a great way to locate problem spots. Simply point the infrared beam in an area in your house and the display will kick you back a number that tells you how hot or cold that location is. Using an infrared cold spot detector can show you where your home is exhibiting a large influx of cold air.
There are a variety of ways to help you cut back costs on your monthly energy bill. These suggestions are by no means an exhaustive list either. Do some sleuthing around and find out which problems your home is susceptible to and then find the best tools out there to help your combat the war on cold air.
