Fixing old doors.
With winter rolling around and tough economic times, the name of the game for many people across the northern hemisphere is this: how to save money on heating in your home without investing in a new heater or breaking their back to improve their home. One of the best ways you can fix the problem is by attacking the key areas where your home is losing heat - and one of these areas is simple: your door.
Many doors today already come with weather-stripping that traps in air automatically with every time they're shut. But that's no guarantee your door has the same. Here's a quick guide to setting up weather stripping on your door.
One of the first things to do is consider the material you want to use: weather stripping is seen in rubber, foam, metal, and plastic. Go to a local hardware store and find the appropriate materials - but not without measuring your door fir so that you understand exactly how much weather stripping you'll be needing.
You can attach the stripping to the door as directed at your local hardware store - it's not a bad idea to ask for help if you're stuck here, especially when it comes to all of the different varieties of weather stripping available. Once you are ready to attach the stripping, go ahead and do it, being as thorough as possible and working to make sure everything stays symmetrical and relatively tight.
Once you've attached the weather stripping - and before you move on to the next door - test to see how well you've done. Some people do this by lighting a stick of incense near the door to see if there are any areas that are leaking air. Light the incense and go to the other side of the door - once there, if you see incense floating out, you need further stripping. Make sure you note where the incense is getting through so that you can fix the appropriate location on the door when you come back around.
After you have a handle on your weather-stripping abilities, go ahead and install weather stripping on all of the doors in your home that needs stripping. Now, you're all set! You can enjoy a more thoroughly-insulated home this winter; this means a tighter energy bill and a more peaceful state of mind. One more tip: keep the money you save on energy to invest in more home improvements!
Photo Credits: boboroshi
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Posted by Fix Handyman on December 24, 2009 in
Handyman, How to Fix, doors
It's getting cool in here.
Whether you're just hitting those summer months or warm temperatures are a year-round constant for you, saving money on air conditioning is a must, especially given a tough economy. It feels great to come in from the heat with a cool blast of air just behind your door, but that doesn't mean you should break the bank in order to stay comfortable. In this article, you'll receive some tips on using air conditioning while saving money so that you don't have to sacrifice money or comfort to have more of the other.
The first thing you'll want to realize is that air conditioners don't only cool the air, but they prevent humidity from building up because cooler air can't hold as much moisture. Hot summer days can be incredibly humid, and taking away this humidity in your home is one of the first steps to feel cooler without pumping up the AC.
In order to prevent humidity from gathering in your home, you'll first want to make sure that the water presence is as low as possible. Boiling a pot of water for spaghetti will force steam and moisture into your home - if you must boil a pot of water, be sure that you ventilate that air right away by turning on your oven fan. Other potential issues with water around the home can include leaks and plumbing problems.
Another way to remove humidity from the air is to buy a - what else? - dehumidifier. Many homes have these as a great supplement to their air conditioner. They'll typically cost you a few hundred dollars, but you'll be amazed at how much water they remove from the air - often gallons of it per day. Other ways of removing humidity might include ventilating with exhaust fans that remove humid air. A kitchen fan can help accomplish this.
By reducing the humidity in the air, you're reducing the amount of stress placed on your air conditioner to maintain a certain amount of temperature. If the weather outside is humid, don't open windows to keep things cool; instead, keep them closed and work on getting that air inside your house dry and cool.
If you plan on having a party, make sure to keep people outside most of the time, as body heat can really force your air conditioner to work overtime. You don't want your air conditioner to work more than it has to simply to maintain a comfortable temperature, so stay mindful of what's going on in your house. Think about the work your air conditioner is doing and ask yourself how you can potentially make that work easier.
Photo Credits: skeddy in NYC
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Posted by Fix Handyman on August 10, 2009 in
Handyman, How to Fix
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