No matter how well your home is built, it is a scientific certainty: homes leak air.
This means the money you spend every month escapes through cracks, gaps, and holes. The heating or cooling of your home seeps in weak points in your home’s “envelope.” The envelope is your roof, doors, windows, subfloor, and exterior walls.
Air sealing can stop most, though not all, air from leaving your home. This is most often done through the use of caulk on stationary and moving components. And this is when the benefits of air sealing your attic add up in two fundamental ways.
Air sealing reduces energy costs
If you’re like many homeowners in the United States, you spend about $2,000 a year on utilities. Plugging air leaks in your attic can cut your utility bill by an average of 15%, the U.S. Department of Energy says. You could save even more by following this effort by adding to your insulation.
Reducing the amount of air which leaks in and out of your home is one way to cut heating and cooling costs. It also increases comfort and creates a healthier indoor environment, the department says. Improved durability of your roof also happens.
Air sealing protects the roof from the inside out
It’s smart to plug air leaks in your home, especially the attic where air naturally rises. Air sealing protects the most vital element of your roof by protecting it from the inside.
Air sealing has more benefits than saving you money. It makes your home more energy-efficient in these ways:
- Reduce drafts and cold spots on floors.
- Improve your indoor air quality by making temperatures consistent room to room.
- Prevent the development of mold. Spores circulate everywhere and often end up in attics where they thrive in dark, moist conditions. Air sealing prevents the spores from growing into mold by keeping your attic dry.
- Reduce the amount of airborne toxins and pollutants in your home, also by keeping your attic dry.
Air sealing requires a professional’s eye and expert touch. This is why many Albuquerque residents turn to Millers. We know air sealing affects your energy bills on hot and cold days. We want to keep you comfortable and help you save money on energy. Give us a call today to learn more.
