Lower Your Bills With A Door Draft Protector
Posted by Angie Meza on June 27th, 2009
Energy costs are on the rise again, and the poor homeowner is faced with a constant barrage of bad news relating to monthly expenses. The fluctuating economy puts immense pressure on a monthly operating budget and the price of oil seems to be constantly on the rise. Everything seems to point to a constant upward tick in the cost of energy, which translates to higher utility bills. As it becomes increasingly difficult to heat or cool your house (depending on the season), it only makes sense to ensure that your valuable conditioned-air is is not seeping out, nor wintry air seeping in. Look for leaks around your entry-ways and treat them with a door draft protector.
Houses generally tend to settle when they get older, and any movement in the foundation can cause gaps between the floor and the bottom of doors. Sometimes these gaps are difficult to see, but they are there and causing a nuisance nonetheless. Air could be seeping in or out and having a major effect on your monthly utility costs. A good door draft protector will help you, as it can be fitted in any of your problem areas, rectifying the issue.
A good door draft protector is extremely flexible and can be adjusted to fit any space. Typically, the door draft blocker come in a standard size, 3″ x 42″ and are primarily designed to fit a conventional size 36 inch doorway.
Whilst there are many places where air can escape or enter due to a poor seal, note that the attic door is a primary location. Warm air will rise and you do not want it seeping through your attic door. Using a door draft protector will pay off dividends.
If you are looking for leaks, don’t just pay attention to the front door or the back door, but look at other areas, such as your sliding glass doors. It does not make any sense to put additional pressure on your heating furnace or air conditioning unit by allowing leaks to occur. Your utility units will have to work overtime to maintain your ideal temperature, otherwise.
Your windowsill is a great place to fit a door draft protector. Gaps appear around window just as easily as they can around doors and you must treat all potential problem areas. If you run your hand around the edges of the window, feel for a draft. Sometimes, a lighted match will also tell you if you have a leak.
A door draft protector will never wear out and is very cost-effective. It is made to be durable and the outside is composed of a strong polypropylene. The interior has been filled with ground corn cob, which is a very effective insulator. Should your protector get wet, simply set it out in the air to dry.
As you strive to reduce your monthly utility bill, make sure that you go around the house and comprehensively review all potential areas that could leak air. Treat all these areas with door draft protectors, and remember that you can normally get a good discount for buying them in bulk.