Home weatherization
Weatherization is the practice of keeping the weather out of your home. In other words, keeping the cold out in the winter and keeping the heat out in the summer.
There are two primary ways to weatherize your home. The first is by sealing up cracks and leaks. This can be done with weather stripping around doors and windows, or using caulking around areas that don’t open and close.
The second is with insulation. If your home does not have insulation you have zero resistance to keeping the weather out. Resistance is measured in R-value. A single pane window has an R-value of 1; a double pane window is twice as good with an R-value of 2. Wall insulation (which is much cheaper than new windows) has a typical R-value of 16. And attic insulation comes in with the biggest benefit at around R30.
If you are trying to heat your home, you want to keep that warm air inside, and the cold weather outside. When your home isn’t weatherized, you’re simply heating up the neighborhood.
