With the days getting cooler and the leaves slowly beginning to change, now is the time to start thinking about those problem areas on your home that get worse with every winter. As a homeowner of Western PA, you know the wear and tear Mother Nature can cause on your house over the years. The impact of this accumulated damage becomes even more noticeable during the windy and cold winter months. If you are thinking that this is the year you need to do take that step, now is the best time get the ball rolling.
Over the years nothing takes more abuse than your windows. Traditional materials that were used to make windows don’t stand up well against the elements. They’ve deteriorated; have broken seals and poor weather-stripping. All this makes them look bad and hard to operate. But even worse, the energy you’re losing through those is like throwing money out the window.
Air infiltration can be a major source of window energy loss. Properly manufactured and installed windows can cut this drastically. To maximize the benefit, new windows need to be properly insulated and sealed around the perimeter. They also need to be properly trimmed out and sealed with high performance caulking that has long term durability. Windows designed with compression seals between their moving parts tend to be superior to designs that rely on hard to maintain edge seals that can change over time.
Since the majority of any window is glass, maximizing its performance and long-term durability is critical. Today’s superior performing products have Low-E coatings and an inert gas between the two panes of glass. Low-E glass uses a atoms thick silver coating on the inside of the glass that works like a heat reflecting mirror, bouncing heat back towards the direction it came from. In the summer time it reflects the heat back to the outside of your home, keeping your house cooler, while in the wintertime it reflects back towards the inside of your home, allowing it to stay warmer.
High performing insulated glass units replace the air space between the two panes of glass with a lower conductivity gas, such as argon, reducing the transfer of heat. For long-term performance, it is also a good idea to look for premium glass units that have a double seal around the glass perimeter. They will last years longer than units with a single seal.
Another area that gets hit hard by the environment is the siding on your home. Many Western Pa homes were built with aluminum, wood or cheap flake-board siding. All of these old technology materials are now showing the effects of long-term exposure to ravages of Mother Nature. Newer materials, such as today’s vinyl siding products, are a great way to protect your home’s exterior from the elements. It comes in a multitude of styles and colors to fit the architecture of your home. Most people know that new siding improves your home appearance and provides protection that cuts maintenance costs. However, most consumers don’t realize that is also the ideal time to increase the insulating values of your walls. House wraps, which cut air leakage through your walls, and insulation board under the siding can enhance the energy performance of under insulated walls. Many of today’s better siding products come with integral foam backing that not only saves energy, but also adds strength and stiffness to the siding panel.
Many consumers believe that proper attic ventilation is only important in the summer to get the heat out. However, it’s even more important in the wintertime to prevent the build-up of excessive moisture. Moisture in your attic can cause paint peeling and deterioration of your soffits and rotting of your roof decking, not to mention potential mold problems. Attic ventilation can be a complex subject. The best way to know if you’re okay is to consult with a contractor who has experience and training. Proper attic ventilation today can prevent costly repairs in the future.
The third way to prepare for winter is to make sure your attic is properly ventilated through correct soffit ventilation. A poorly ventilated attic results in costly damage to your roof due to excessive trapped moisture. Plus, the paint on your soffit will begin to flake off! However, if you take the time to speak with a home remodeling consultant and chose a ventilation system that best suits your home, you’ll have no need to even consider fixing roofing issues in the spring! Investing in new soffit now will be a smaller cost than paying for roof repair after the damage is already done.
Finally, the fourth way to make sure your home is guarded against the winter blast is by investing in a gutter protection system. Gutter protection keeps leaves and debris from getting into your gutter that clog gutters in the fall and cause freezing issues in the winter. So by the time spring comes around, you have the unpleasant chore of cleaning out decomposing leaves (and who knows what else) from your gutters. During this time you may also see how your gutters have distorted during the frozen winter months. Western PA witnesses green leaves, fall leaves, dead leaves, and frozen leaves—the question is, where do you want them?
As you can see, there are many ways you can prepare your home for winter. So this winter, before you see water damage; before your wood rots from excessive moisture; before you have to paint again; before you have to clean out your gutters, and most of all, before you lose another cent on your energy bills—research how investing in windows, insulated siding, soffit ventilation, and gutter protection may benefit you and your home before winter settles in.
Thank you so much for sharing this great blog.
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