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Home My WebLink AboutThe Huron Expositor, 1998-04-22, Page 1810 -THE HURON EXPOSITOR, April 22, 1898 Comfort and benefits from an energy efficient home In. addition to reducing your utility hills,A more energy - :efficient home is more com- fortable and benefits -the environment. By properly insulating your home and implementing these energy. tips from Owens Corning, you. will he well on your way to a more energy-efficient, cost-effective home that per- forms erforms the way you need it to: Stop the Drafts Draft -proofing your home can result in annual energy tost savings of 10 per cent. The exterior of your house is your first line of defense against drafts—so .caulk .and seal around windows and where siding or bricks and wood trim meet. You can also reduce drafts from_thc inside of the. house by caulking. sealing and weather stripping around windows and door frames. near electrical boxes and plumping fixtures. all of which arc fair game for air infiltration. Upgrade Your Windows Single -pane windows or those that don't fit properly result in substantial heat loss. The energy efficiency of a window is generally deter- mined by the layers of glass used. A standard single -pane window has very little insula- tion value. Double- or triple - pane windows have insulated air- or gas-filled spaces between each pane, which resists heat flow. If you are considering replacing your windows, upgrade them to high efficiency. double -pane vinyl windows. The added benefits of comfort and con- venience might be even more. important to you than the energy savings. ..There's Heat Loss Think about it—your chim- ney is designed specifically for smoke to escape. Until you close it. warm air escapes -24 hours a day! When the fireplace is not in use. keep the flue .tightly closed. When the fire's crack - Wreck rooms to Is your recreation room becoming a • wreck room" With- sunny. warm days approaching. you're prob- ably looking_ forward to having your kids play out- side.. but one thing that may he unsettling is to see the condition that they've left the basement in. Floor hockey and four-wheel vehicles ma♦ have - left - dents in high' traffic arca - Rcalizing the damage and wanting to make the area resistant to dents. you may he - thinking about undertaking a home reno- vation project. Read on to discover a few secrets that will make„ your job easy and hassle -free. 1f yon fol- low them closely. the job can even be fun and you'll .have a recreation room. that will last for years. Instead of purchasing 'reg- ular' gypsum board (also known as drywall): consid- er installing gypsum hoard -Mat is designed to provide greater resistance to abuse in high traffic areas. To begin. carefully take your measurements. Once - finished. you're ready to cul your dtywall to size. Draw your cut on the dry- , wall using the pencil and ruler. Then. scare the paper with your exacta knife, piercing the first layer. ' The ncxhstep is to snap the drywall. That should hap- pen fairly easily hccausc you've cut the paper that, hinds it tocethcr.• ling away, reduce heat loss by opening dampers in the bottom of the firebox (if pro- vided) or open the nearest window slightly—approxi- mately one inch—and close any doors leading into the room. insulate Your Water Heater An old water heater that is warm to the touch usually needs additional insulation. Installing an insulation blan- ket around the water storage tank is an inexpensive way to help make heating water more efficient. Or, if you arc purchasing a new - water heater, an energy efficient system will help to reduce operating costs. Save addi- tional money by setting your water heater's temperature to 50°C(60'Cifyou use a dishwasher). Slow the Flow Install an aerator in your kitchen sink faucet and try a recreation rooms To attach the drywall you should first push the panel tight against the stud. Then hammer or screw the • panel to the stud• making sure to dent into the paper just enough 'so that you will he able to hide the head with joint compound later. But do it carefully! If you break the paper, the hoard won't be fastened securely and damaged paper may bubble after you apply the compound. ' Screw fasteners should be spaced every 12 inches and nail fasteners every 8 inches (seven inches for ceilings). Panels may also he aftixed using a combi- nation of fasteners and drywall adhesive. If you use this method, you will have fewer holes to fill and more importantly, less w o r k 1 a t e r '. The ceiling panels should he installed first. perpen- dicular to the joints or fur- ring. That way. you'll get additional support from the wall panels once they have been installed. When installing the panels. you should push them to the c c i 1 i n. g Once your pieces arc cut to sire, follow these rules for attaching them to the wall. First. to avoid unwanted warping and shrinkage make sure the wood is dry and straight. - The last stage in the process is finishing the joint between adjacent pieces of drywall panels. Step 1. spread joint com- pound ovCr the seam and embed a strip of .joint tape in the "compound. Smooth the joint, being careful not to squeeze the entire com- pound from under the tape. Allow the compound to dry, usually 24 hours, and give the compound a light sanding. Apply two cover coats, smooth each coat with a finishing knife and when dry• give it a light sanding.. The trick- is to scrape off the exce'ss joint compound while i.t is wet. These arc just a few tips for starting your job. there's a lot more you can do to make your room look exactly as you -had imag- ined. • low -flow snowerhead. By energy efficient rating that reducing the amount of water measures the efficiency of in the flow, you use less hot one product in relation to water and save the energy similar products. Compare that would have been labels among different appli- required to heat it. The lower ance brands—the higher the is hardly rating, the more efficient the water pressure noticeable! Bright Light Ideas Turn off lights in rooms not being used and "light zone" your home by concentrating lighting in reading and work- ing areas as well as where it's needed for safety, such as stairwells. Shed some new Tight on your electric bills by installing compact fluores- cent -lights wherever you can. Although they are initially more expensive, you could save up to 75 percent on lighting energy. Heal Your Home Heating Proper maintenance and adjustment of existing equip- mcnt can improve efficiency by as much as. 10 per cent. Have your furnace and air ducts checked.and serviced once a year and change the filter in your forced air heat- ing system each month to assure maximum energy effi- ciency. Close vents in rooms not often used, keeping more of the heat in areas you fre- quent. Moisture Control An improperly ventilated home can damage the struc- tural wood and roofing sys- tem of the home and make for uncomfortable living. Installing roof vents will help keep the air flow in your attic constant, reducing the level of developing moisture in .the winter and venting hot air in the summer. Dare to Compare Appliance labels rate ener- gy efficiency in two ways: 1) annual cost of operating the appliance and 2) through an product. Buying an energy product. Buying energy efficient product might cost a little more initially, but that expense is more than made back by reducing operating costs over the lifetime of the appliance. Let McGrath Plumbing & Heating help you beat the heat this summer! Central Rir Add central air-conditioning and you're set for all -season home comfort. 1, MC GRATH T't, MBL G & 1 -EATING INC. —Seaforth- 522.-0493 GET YOLK -tO': IE READY _ - ti: f'\; f-, r{ < Plumbing Friendly Helpful Service Supplies fleiElectrkal Supplies JSILLS HAII: , 69 Main St., Seaforth t Paint & Deck Stains Over 100 Years Helping the Community Lawn & Garden v V A R E 527-1620 • Begin your project with creativity and add a bright finish with Regal. Your Benjamin Moore dealer has everything you need to make your project a success! 111 FRESH START *Super Adherent •Interior/oxtorior .100% Acrylic m REGAL AQUAVELVET •Versatile paint tor walls and trim •Decoralivo low sheen That can ALKYD CEILING PAINT •Designed for painting sprayed -on textured • Take home your purchase in a Benjamin Moore project box! HILDEBRAND PAINT & PAPER "Your Benjamin Moore Dealer" interior & Exterior Decorators 15 Main St., Seaforth 527-1880 Stay cool, and win! l'IIrclms' coitl',iI ,ltl' LowlitioiliIH) before June 13 Enter to win' $3,000 towards a high -efficiency central air conditioner or furnace No payments until September '98' Terms and Conditions •Available to Union Gas residential customers O.A.C. All other Offers not applicable. See your participating authorized Union Gas Dealer. No purchase necessary. One contest winner will receive a credit of $3,000. towards the purchase of a high efficiency air conditioner or natural gas furnace. Contest closes June 13, 1998. SEAFORTH PLUMBING & HEATING 527-0505 15 Goderich St. E. Seaforth For all the comforts of home .0 Automotive - Electrical • Hardware YOUR ONE STOP for all ti 0 0 01 For the do-it-yourselfer, we have all the supplies you'll need! •Building Materials •Power Tools -Hardware •Paint - -Lumber • Visit our ne triy re-opsusd Woo Cmalts Fertilisers. 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