For the month of December we have been focusing on quick tips for areas such as electricity, roofing, and plumbing. This week we are going to talk about the exterior of your home.

The exterior of your home is not only the first thing your visitors see, it also contributes in large part to the overall health of your home. During this busy month of hospitality, it is important to ensure that the exterior looks beautiful, sure, but year round it is important to take measures to conserve the exterior of your home, including steps that will help you to conserve energy.

The following are some December quick tips touching on your home’s exterior:

Check outside corners

Ensure that the house outside corners don’t have cracks that can cause heat to escape. It’s especially important if some areas in your home are constructed with different materials.

Fill any Cracks

Make sure you use proper filler to fill any holes and cracks that might be present in your foundation or on your siding.

Give Plumbing an Upgrade if Necessary

Where does plumbing enter your home? Look for spots that are normally prone to weathering and deterioration. Such spots create space for energy leaks and drafts. You must use the right material to fill any home.

Main windows and doors

Your windows and doors are, of course, crucial to energy savings. For this reason, you need to maintain them properly. Ensure that they’re insulated, and that their seals remain intact in order to minimize the amount of heat that escapes through them. Do you intend to purchase new windows and doors? If yes, then check out the rebates available for window replacements.

Seal Wall-mounted air Conditioners

Having a huge hole on your wall will definitely not help you save more energy! In the summer months, and if you use a wall mounted air conditioner, ensure the unit is tightly sealed around the area that meet the wall.

Insulation

Hand in hand with the exterior of your home is insulation. The attic is one of the areas that many people tend to overlook. Because heat rises through the attic, it is important to make sure that it insulated well so that heat doesn’t escape. Additionally, make sure that the attic has an excellent vapor barrier. This goes miles in ensuring in your energy bill reduces.

Other Quick Tips

Here are some great tips to see you through this busy month of December and beyond:

• Ensure all your exterior stairs have a safety handrail
• For utmost safety as well as reduction in liability, maintain all exits and paths as clear and in operable condition at all times. Furthermore, make sure that you keep all your bridges, egress balconies, fire escapes, and exterior stairways free of snow and ice
• Siding materials must be maintained regularly. This is especially true to those that are exposed on the Southern part of your house. They tend to age at a faster rate. On the other hand, siding that’s exposed on the Northern part of your home is more susceptible to decay from moisture. Any form of ventilation imbalance or water penetration can cause mold and/or interior damage
• You should maintain a neat 1-2 foot clearance between all siding and shrubbery for proper maintenance, access, and ventilation
• It’s always wise to monitor the exterior damage conditions every year in order to identify and also reduce the conditions that may lead to wet basement problems. The soil along the perimeter of your house foundation must direct water away from your home through gravity flow.
• All the exterior wood cladding ought to be at least six inches above the soil in order to help prevent any chances of wood rot and/or the entry of wood destroying insects.