5 Ways Your Home is "Burning" Money, and Three Ways to prevent this from ever happening again!

Homeowners often ignore the fact that their home, over time, can become a huge money pit. Whether through the ceiling, through unblocked chimneys, drafts around doors and windows, through the walls or even the floor, your home is costing you money! In some cases, upwards of 42% efficiency is lost through these means. A simple annual home analysis or check-up paired with an elite preventative home maintenance plan performed each year will save you thousands!

It is important your ceiling has, at the very least, loose-fill or batt insulation which is installed properly. Check your attic to ensure proper coverage and fill any areas which appear to be low. The recommended level for most attics is R-38 with about 10 to 14 inches, depending on insulation type. It is also very important to seal any air leaks and make sure the roof is water tight. Don’t forget about proper ventilation in your attic as well. Make sure the insulation is not blocking your soffit vents (usually styrofoam baffles will ensure this) and you have the proper amount of roof vents or ridge vents in place. Visit www.safegc.com for your quick reference ventilation calculator. You can also have a professional provide this assessment for little or no cost.

Another area which often is overlooked is your chimney flue. It happens all the time. You’re at home enjoying a nice warm fire during those cold winter months. It’s getting late and you decide to go to bed and just let the fire burn out. The next day you forget to close the flu. You are now heating the outside and with that fireplace damper open, so much heat is lost you can use up to 30% more energy to heat your home. Of course, if this were a large hole in the middle of your house you’d probably notice it and close it up right away. Don’t let this happen to you. Even when the flue is closed often the seal is not very effective. Simply adding glass doors to the front of the fireplace can significantly improve its air seal and give you that added safety net.

Doors and windows are a major source of energy loss. 12% of the homes surrounding the Chicago suburbs leak air from their doors and windows. That’s 1 out of 8 homes! Simple weather stripping might do the trick, but in some cases, doors and windows will need to be replaced. According to your budget, you may be able to obtain a low cost preventative maintenance plan which can ultimately fix the problem. Caulking and sealing around window and door trim can work wonders. For more information or to sign up for your Platinum Preventative Maintenance program today visit, www.safegc.com/sg/platinum-maintenance-signup.

Walls and floors can account for a combined total of 34% lost efficiency. If your home currently suffers from this, using spray foam insulation can help reduce this loss significantly. This can be added with relatively little to no demolition. When insulating floors, you must first seal all possible sources of air leakage. This will also have the added benefit of minimizing dangerous contaminants from migrating into your home by way of a crawl space, garage or subfloor.

The bottom line, locate as many of these issues as possible and repair, re-seal or replace them as necessary to improve your homes efficiency and health. Safeguard Construction does this every day and for a fraction of the cost! In fact, you can sign up for a complementary maintenance service valued at $250.00. Visit www.safegc.com/sg/maintenance-program-registration to register for your FREE Service today. Other services include, Inspect/repair exterior hose bibs, dryer vent cleaning, clean and seal gutters, power wash driveway and sidewalk, waterproof or sealcoat driveway and sidewalk, home exterior power wash, wash exterior windows, clean and straighten A/C fins, caulk and seal window, door and garage door trim, plus much more. Visit www.safegc.com today for your complete preventative home maintenance program and check list.