You have a home that needs some repairs. Whether minor or
large scale (home flippers have our utmost respect), sometimes it’s hard to
prioritize what needs to be done first. For this portion of our What
Projects First? series, we’re going to address the things in your home that
affect efficiency… and your wallet.
Proper Insulation
Is your home (or a room in your home) exceedingly cold in
the winter and hot in the summer? There could be an issue with insulation. Do
your pipes freeze if it gets too cold outside – like the horrible winter we had
this go around? This is also an insulation issue.
First step is to check the insulation in your attic for a
cold room, because this is the easiest to address. If the insulation there is
in adequate, you can have blown insulation added to the attic at a relatively
inexpensive cost (in fact, you can rent the blower and save on labor because
this is a pretty easy DIY project). Just be sure not to overdo it – if you put
in too much insulation, it will close off air circulation through your soffit
and roof vent, which will overheat your roof in the summer time (i.e. bad news).
Of note, it’s not necessary to insulate crawl space. It
won’t really make a difference. Not enough to offset the cost of adding the
insulation anyway.
If adding insulation to the attic doesn’t make much of a
dent, you may need to check the windows and exterior doors (where applicable)
in the room to make sure there aren’t any air leaks around the seals. This can
be addressed with insulation added and sealed around the seams, or older doors
and windows may need to be replaced with more energy efficient options. Also
check outlets on outside walls – they may need an insulator (an inexpensive
product) between the wall and the cover to keep air from escaping.
If all else fails, there may be insufficient insulation
within your walls – and addressing this can be a challenge. It may require
removing sheetrock to insert additional insulation between wall studs – either
rolled or expanding foam insulation (which is the ideal, but more expensive,
option). Of note, expanding foam insulation completely seals off air
infiltration and increases the R-Value of your
walls. It’s a cumbersome project, but worth it in the end if it saves on your
electric bill and keeps you comfortable.
Another approach to adding insulation in the walls is to
blow it in. This option is utilized in older (turn-of-the-century) homes that
have no insulation at all in the walls. The procedure to cut a hole in the top
and bottom of the wall between each stud. Insulation is pumped in from the top
hole, and the bottom hole allows air to escape until the wall is full. Then you
patch the holes and, of course, paint.
In regard to freezing pipes, you’ll need to address the
insulation in and around the area between the ground and where the pipes enter
the home. You can purchase pipe insulation at any hardware store and, while
it’s a time consuming and tedious task, wrap the pipes in the crawl space (and
anywhere you have access to them) starting at where they meet the ground. It’s
probably not a bad idea to wrap the pipes inside cabinets as well – wherever
you have access to exposed pipe line, insulation certainly doesn’t hurt one
bit. Afterall, a busted pipe can cause you worlds of financial hurt.
HVAC System
If you have a 2200 square foot home and a mid-sized HVAC
system… well… that doesn’t add up. The system simply won’t have the capacity to
heat or cool a home of that size. This means:
- An uncomfortable living situation
- Higher utility bills because they system is always going
- Frequent and expensive repairs to your system because it’s wearing out
So, while it is a significant investment, upgrading your
HVAC system and air conditioner to units that can handle the capacity of your
home is a really smart idea. This HVAC load calculator can
help you to estimate the size unit you will need, but it’s best to have a
professional verify that calculation.
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