ENERGY AND MONEY

RENOVATING WITH ENERGY EFFICIENCY

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Insulation
safety tip

(NC)—Insulating materials can be
dusty and may cause temporary
skin irritation after contact, Always
wear lightweight goggles and a
high-quality dust mask. Wear loose
clothing with long sleeves buttoned
_] around your wrists, snug work gloves:
and a hat.

4

Draftproofing:
‘Your first priority

(NC)—When it comes to winter home
‘Maintenance, draftproofing should be
“your first priority. It maximizes: your
insulation’s effectiveness and protects
your house from moisture damage.
Open cracks and holes, although
minuscule, account for up to 30 percent
of heat lost from the average Canadian
home, Warm air leaving the home means
energy loss, and energy loss means
money loss, On the flip side, cold air
entering the house through these tiny
openings, means drafts and drafts
mean discomfort,

Be sure ta draftproof anywhere
there is a crack, hole, or seam in
materia! that separates your living
space from unheated cr outside areas.
Search obvious areas around doors and
windows, as well as not-so-obvious
places such as electrical outlets,
baseboards, attic hatches and chimneys,

An easy way to detect a draft is to
wail for a windy day, and place a piece
of plastic or burning incense ‘near
suspected air leaks. If the plastic
flutters, or if the smoke wavers, you’ ve
located a draft.

Here are some typic. al drafty spots
in your home:

* Electrical outlets: use foam gaskets
between the cover plate and the
receptacles, and install child safety
plugs in outlets that are rarely used.

* Mail slots and milk chutes: Cover
and seal them if they are no longer
in use, or seal around the frame and
use Weatherstripping.

* Window air conditioners: Ideally,
they should be removed and stored
for the winter, and the window
properly sealed.

For more information on how to
make your home more comfortable and
energy efficient, call Natural Resources
Canada toll-free at 1-800-387-2000

{in Ottawa, call 995-2943), or write-to |
Energy iPubli¢ations c/o’ Canada”

Communication Group, Ottawa, ON,
KIA 089, and ask for the free booklet
called Keeping the Heat In.

B6 - The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, September 17, 1997

(NC)—-Draftproofing, replacing win-
dows and adding insulation all help
reduce uncomfortable drafts. But if
your home isn’t well ventilated, this
hard work can cause you problems,
The moisture in your household air
can increase, and when warm moist air
touches “cold ‘surfaces, condensation
results. Here are three ways to tackle
the moisture problem:

1. Reduce moisture at the source

* Avoid hang-drying clathes indoors,
‘You'd be surprised how much moisture
this-can add to the air, The same goes
for drying firewood.

* Make sure your clothes dryer vent
leading outdoors is free of obstruction.

* Be aware of the amount of moisture
you produce: clothes washing, house
plants, showers, and cooking all
produce water vapaur.

» Make sure humidifiers are turned off,

2. Keep moist air away from your
home's structure.

* Make sure you have effective air
and vapour barriers throughout to

Three ways to tackle
moisture problems

RENO

HELPING YOU SAVE
ENERGY AND MONEY

| RENOVATING WITH ENERGY EFFICIENCY |

protect your house structure, This is
usually polyethylene behind the dry-
wall but you can also use an oil-based
paint or a special vapour barrier paint.

« If you have a crawl space, cover
the earth floor with a sheet of 6-mil
polyethylene, :

* Make sure that downspouts direct
water away from your foundation.

3. Ventilate!

* You don’t want to open windows ©

in the winter, s0 make sure your
home has adequate (exterior-vented)
bathroom and kitchen exhaust fans, and
use them.

* Sometimes the best solution is to
install ventilation for the whole house
(such as a heat recovery ventilator or
“HRV"),

| RENOVATING WITH ENERGY EFFICIENCY |

RENOVATING WITH ENERGY EFFICIENCY

Home insulation:
getting started

(NC)—If you're fed up with drafty
corridors and skyrocketing energy bills,
and plan to do something about it by
improving the insulation in your home,
here are some useful pointers:

* Wear protective gear: goggles, dust
mask, gloves, overalls, boots, hard
hats, ete,

+ Always keep safely i in mind. For
example, don't use an open flame
near polyethylene vapour retarcers.

«Don’t sacrifice the-body! If you're
going to be kneeling for extended
periods in cramped areas, use knee
pads.

* Take time to plan lighting needs,
materials, step ladders, etc.

* Use atool box or other containerto
put your tools in while you work—
things get easily misplaced;

particularly if you're in a dingy

attic full of insulation! .

Before beginning your insulation
job, read the instruction booklets.
Bach job varies and, as a result, so
will the tools and methods of
installation.

For more information on how
you can best insulate your home, call
Natural Resources Canada toll-free
at 1-800-387-2000 (in Ottawa, call
995-2943), or write:ta Energy Publica-
tions c/o Canada Communication Group,
Ottawa, ON, K1A-0S9, and ask for the

' free booklet called ‘Keeping the Heat In:)

Caulking tips
(NC}—Cautking is used inside the
home on fixed joints—not on
moving paris—to keep warm interior
ait from escaping into cavities in the
walls and roof and then outdoors,
Stopping this flow of warm air not
only saves energy, it also prevents
condensation from Forming in the
building envelope. This, in turn, can
damage the insulation, interior
finishes and the building structure.
Here are some tips on caulking:

« Cheap caulking may not last.
Consider spending a bit more
and avoid having to replace it
every year,”

¢ Make sure that the caulking
adheres to the surface you intend
to apply it to.

» Look for a brand that suits your
needs. For example, is it
paintable? Is it heat resistant?

* Caulking should be flexible
enough to allow for the natural
shifting of your home.

* Interior caulking is different
from exterior caulking: some
types of exterior caulking
contain harmful compounds
and should not be used inside.
For more information on how to

make your home more comfortable
and energy efficient, call Natural
Resources Canada. toll-free at
1-800-337-2000 (in Ottawa, call
995-2943), or write to Energy
Publications, c/o Canada Cammuni-.
cation Group, Ottawa, ON-K1 A 089,
and ask for the free booklet called
Keeping rhe Heat.in.

MORE REASONS TO BUY A
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