Architecture & Green Home

Seal up your winter home

Typical Heatloss throughout your home

As the winter months firmly settle in, it's important that our homes (energy efficient or not) are sealed up against the cold. Draughts and air leaks are some major contributers to heat loss and add to increased heating costs. By doing a quick "air check" throughout your home and sealing off draughts, you can significantly reduce your electricity consumption and reduce your emissions as a result.

Green Home Air Check

1. Check the roof - poor roof insulation is one the easiest things to install in your home. (especially with the new insulation rebates from the federal government).

2. Check the floors - by installing thick carpeting, you can help reduce the amount of heat lost through the floor. Don't forget to check out the eco friendly carpeting options available.

3. Check your doors - especially the front door which often has an extra wide gap. Door seals are affordable and relatively easy to install. Alternatively, look into a good old door snake, or make one yourself out of old mismatched socks.

4. Check your windows - windows are another way heat can escape your home. It's cheap and easy to install some foam weather stripping to reduce the gaps between your windows - reducing your footprint and heating costs along the way.

5. Check for air gaps - you may not realise you could have air leaking out of cracks and walls throughout your home. Wood boards can shrink and warp leaving your rooms more exposed to the elements, especially in older homes. Try this simple incense test. Light a stick and move it carefully along your walls (avoiding curtains and flammables), where the smoke wavers is where you have a leak. Check around power points and switches as well. Try simple solutions, such as dry wall or caulking compound to seal small leaks or get a professional in to help you.

6. Seal up air conditioners - if you have an air conditioning unit, a lot of heat can be lost during the winter months from air passing through the air conditioning vents. Seal up your unit to avoid draughts. The same goes for any vents and chimneys that are not being used. (But make your house is still well ventilated even during the winter months, especially to reduce the spread of illness)

Any home should be made as energy efficient as possible.

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