RECENT POSTS
Winter Weatherization Tips
By Dale Goforth, President
Home Builders Association of Wilkes & Yadkin County
With the holidays behind us and now facing chilly or even cold weather, it’s still not too late to make sure your home is adequately weather-proofed and save a few dollars (or more) on your utility bills. Here are some things you can do to improve your home’s efficiency and make sure you and your family are comfortable through the winter months:
· Check insulation
According to most studies, in a typical home, about 10 to 20 percent of the fuel bill is the result of unintended air infiltration. Even in a well-insulated home, energy may be wasted through air moving in and out or infiltrating through the home’s building shell or structure. Air leaks around doors and windows, attic hatches, window air conditioners, and through cracks and holes.
Make sure your attic has a sufficient amount of insulation to ensure it stays at least five to 10 degrees warmer than the outside air, otherwise too much heat escapes. Not only will this cause your heat bills to be higher, but it can also cause frozen water to melt and refreeze which can result in a collapsed roof.
Inspect the weather stripping and caulking around doors and windows to make sure it hasn’t cracked or come loose, allowing air to leak, and replace it if needed. This can also help reduce infiltration by insects, dust and moisture and noise. Or, consider replacing your windows or doors with new ENERGY STAR-qualified windows or doors, which can save you about seven to 15 percent on your energy bills.
- Maintain your pipes
Wrap your pipes with heating tape every winter and insulate unfinished rooms such as garages or sunrooms if they contain exposed pipes. Check pipes for cracks and leaks and have any damage repaired immediately to prevent costlier repairs later. Keep your house warm—at least 65 degrees. Don’t neglect your basement and crawl spaces, and insulate pipes in those spaces to protect against freezing.
It’s also important to know the location of your pipes and how to shut the water off. If your pipes freeze, the quicker you shut off the water, the better chance you have of preventing pipe bursts and major water damage in your home.
Inspect your heating systems
Be sure to have your heating system serviced every year, and maintain your furnace, fireplace, boiler, water heater, space heater and wood-burning stove. Change your heating and air conditioning filters regularly, and while you’re at it, check the batteries and operation of your smoke and fire alarms and carbon monoxide detectors.
By setting aside a few weekend days now, you’ll save yourself a lot of hassle later—and your family can relax and be warm and comfortable throughout the winter months. To locate a member company specializing in these types of safeguards, visit www.wilkescountyhba.com. For more information on do-it-yourself home maintenance, go to www.nahb.org/forconsumers.
Or, e-mail www.homewilkes@aol.com
And Welcome to the Neighborhood!
A glorious day! as the Wilkes - Yadkin Home Builders Association helped raise $1,826.63 in a one-day Yard Sale event to benefit Samaritan Kitchen of Wilkes. Samaritan's Executive Director Julie Smith said the amount would cover a week's worth of food in the Back Pack food distribution program for area school children. And it was a lot of fun too!
100% of proceeds to Samaritan Kitchen!
HBA members and others are invited to continue donations of canned goods (nothing frozen) and other non-perishable items, and other household supplies (toothpaste, toothbrushes, toiletries) you would purchase for your family may be dropped off directly at Samaritan's Kitchen (at Celebration Baptist Church/the old Union School Building - Boone Trail, North Wilkesboro) on any Wednesday and Thursday from 9am til noon.
A community project of your Wilkes/Yadkin HBA.
Our 23nd annual Spring HBA Golf Outing already features some 25 teams set to tee it up at one o'clock on Friday, April 6th.
Lunch begins serving at 11.30 -- prviously sponsored by member companies A & J Rental and G & B Energy.
Cash payouts this time to 1st and 2nd place 'net' and 'gross' teams. Prize holes include $10,000 for a hole-in-one on number 18...along with other quality prizes for closest-to-the-pin.