Photo by María Helena Carey
It seems that most of us have made it intact through the worst the Snowpocalypse had to offer: we have shoveled until we were blue in the face; we have salted and we have dug, and we have checked roofs and lived in fear that these old houses might turn on us and not be able to uphold the weight of the snow.
But what have we learned from the curve ball Mother Nature has thrown our way? For some, a new roof or better wintertime insulation (hello, delightful window plastic covers!) have been a revelation as well as a reality. But a quick walk around our neighborhood during the long cold spell also reveals that when it comes to energy saving, we may still need to learn a lesson or two. I am not writing this to sermonize anyone in particular; instead, take it as a crash course in awareness of where your precious dollars and toasty warm air are going: out the window and through the roof.
You may have heard talk about ice dams and the damage they cause to your roof: when your attic is not properly insulated, warm air accumulates and melts snow close to the roof. That snow, when melting, seeps through your roof and your walls and, while making lovely icicles that we love to fawn over and photograph, can also be destroying your home. But your roof is not the only place through which heat can seep– during the bitterest part of the cold, pretty icicles and daunting ice formations could be sighted anywhere from the gutters, to the windows, to (gasp!) the very walls of the home. Repeat after me: icicles may be pretty, but they are bad news! What they are trying to point out is that there is a place (or places) in your home where a significant amount of much warmer air is successfully melting the snow and enough water is coming in contact with your property that it’s spilling over and forming ice stalactites.
This is caused by turning up the thermostat way too high, hence bringing about a cycle of overheating and cold seeping that is probably costing those homeowners alarming amounts of money in heating bills (and cooling bills in the summer– let’s not forget that basic science lesson where particles like to move from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration) and could mean water damage or even mold problems in the future and costly repairs to windows, drywall, insulation, and so on.
So what can you, the concerned homeowner or renter do? Turn down your thermostat just a little! Instead of keeping the house at a resort-balmy 72-75 degrees, turn it down to between 65 and 68 degrees and put on a sweater or cuddle up underneath a blanket if you feel chilly. Also, check your home for air leaks (click for a list of what to do), so that you know your warm air is mostly staying in your house (you do have to open a door sometime!).
Thanks, Carter.