I’m writing this article in hopes it will find you all well. 

We have been living under the threat of a virus that spreads rapidly, and as a result, most of us have been ordered to stay home. This gives me the opportunity to discuss a few small home projects you can complete with minimal expense and a need to stay busy.

With the warmer weather, your furnace should be operating less than it has been, so now is a good time to clean or replace your filter. This will help keep your blower motor running efficiently and aid in keeping your indoor air quality high. 

Another low-cost improvement is to caulk around your windows and doors. This can be done on the inside and outside. 

Windows are always going to be less efficient than an exterior wall, but making sure they are not leaking air around the trim will help with the overall efficiency of the window opening. Most homes have paintable trim so you can use a good latex caulk, and you’ll have the ability to paint over the sealed areas. If you have stained trim, a tight bead of silicone will barely be noticeable. In both cases, you want to seal between the window/door and the trim, as well as the window/door trim and the wall.  

This is also a good time to get into your attic and crawl space for a quick inspection. 

With all the rain we’ve had this year, you should be able to identify any leaks in the roof by looking at the bottom side of your roof decking and rafters/trusses in the attic. You can also look for holes between your living space and the attic. These holes should be sealed to prevent conditioned air from leaving your home.

Hopefully your crawl space is dry, and you can adequately inspect the entire area. This is a good way to find any leaking water lines or holes to the outside that need sealed. Leaking water lines are not only bad for the structure, but they add to your energy costs through your well pump operating more often than it needs to. Any holes you may find to the outside can be sealed with a can of spray foam. 

Again, I hope you are all well, and that we are looking back at what happened and not still living it.