Is your home ‘leaky’? Can you feel a cold draught even though all the doors and windows are closed tight?
Houston, we may have a problem! You could be leaking heat or cooling which is in turn energy wasted. How would you like more comfort less energy? Well, that is exactly what we need around here.
We recently had some rooms renovated, added another entrance added to our home, and it has been a long time since I have been in the roof to check the insulation. We also have other leaks that we probably don’t know about.
Tracing the source of a draught
Previously I had draught proofed our home but as our area is known for movement, the concrete slab that homes are built on move over time. This has the effect of breaking the door and window frame seals that I had so meticulously draft proofed a while back with weather strip.
So, I need a company who could perform a whole home assessment to see what could be done to make my home more comfortable. Also I want maximum bang for my buck, with some targeted prioritisation and costing, so that I can make an informed decision.
Well, thankfully, there is such a company in our area, ecoMaster. ecoMaster is located in Gisborne, just north of Melton West.
This morning I bit the bullet and gave them a call. We booked a thermal efficiency assessment (aka ecoHome PLUS Assessment) and an assessor will be coming to visit on 23rd July at 10am. It is going to cost me A$380, but worth it if it saves me heating and cooling costs.
Hopefully they will have some cost-effective solutions for us to pursue.
I really want to make our home as thermally efficient as we can, and really keep the heat in during winter, and out in the summer. After the last Angry Summer, we certainly don’t want a repeat of last year again this coming summer. We would also like to keep the heat in a bit longer this winter.
This is going to be the season that we kick some Brass Monkey Challenge butt!
Can’t go wrong with ecoMaster, highly commend (unpaid testimonial!) in fact they are booked to do some secondary glazing at my place with some draught proofing too!
Nice one. Looks like I am on to the right team then! Cheers Kelli
Hi Gav,
I finally plugged a few leaks in my own home this Autumn. These included a 2 cm gap at the top of an ill-fitting window pane in the bedroom (my home is a late 19th century ‘renovator’s delight’) and two knot holes in the floor boards. I also improvised a door sausage for the front door, and these few small changes have made the house considerably warmer. I don’t know why I didn’t do it sooner…
Your diagram of where the heat is lost was interesting. I pulled up all of the very dirty old carpet a few years ago, and now we just have rugs on the floor. It’s not as warm, and I think I should be saving for carpet. I had avoided this because it’s very hard to get non-toxic carpet and underlay that won’t off-gas nasty chemicals. I have discovered that you can get an underlay made from recycled compressed cotton fibres for only a fraction more than the regular stuff. There doesn’t seem to be any such thing as a truly non-toxic carpet in Australia, but I thought 100% wool would be the best option.
What a pity most heat is lost through the walls – surely not the easiest or cheapest place to insulate.
Madeleine.x
Watch this space Madeleine. I am hoping that there is a wall insulation solution without having to pull off all the plaster board.
Funny, i read this post last night after arriving home from a friends place. I visited the little girls room while there and noticed that the window was completely open and there was almost a 1 inch gap under the door. As she sat there in the warmth from the heating i told her she should put a sausage or install a draft guard. I know once we remove the carpet from our house that is something we will have to do as well.
Hey Lynda, you hit upon a great point. Draught proofing doesn’t have to be expensive. Nana technology like the door sausage always works a treat! x