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MORGAAN mike@mikemorgan.ca | «l h 4. 024 With winter the feeling of nesting and coziness, But how corzy will it be if pests invade your house, or if your home is cold and drafty? Help stay warm all winter long by addressing factors like air leaks from gaps and cracks that can make your home feel uncomfortable. "Drafts and heat loss are common probâ€" lems in the winter, and they affect homes of every age, size and construction," says Gary Parsons, fellow at The Dow Chemical Comparny. "Those factors can seriously affect your home‘s energy efficiency and how comfortable it feels. Fortunately, it‘s not difficult to deal with issues like air leaks and insulation, and doing so can significantly improve your home‘s function and livability." Parsons suggests these steps to help ensure a draftfree, pestfree and comfy home this winter season: Seal cracks and gaps: Gaps and cracks throughout the home allow hot air to escape and cold air and pests to enter. Energy Star estimates that homes can have a half mile or more of cracks around doors, windows and sill plates alone, and those aren‘t the only places in a home PRIVATE TREED PARKâ€"LIKE SETTING an immaculate, sprawiling brick bungalow with gleaming ... with 1,200 square feet of living space on the top floor of a nearly new building. You‘ll love the 10 foot high ceilings, the hardwood floors in the living room, the open Here d Sell Herd age, improve a home‘s overall energy effiâ€" ciency and block out pests and insects. in fact.hormownerscansaveanavemof 15 per cent on heating and cooling by air sealing their homes and adding insulation, according to Energy Star. Even doityourself novices can easily ar\dqldwseelaad(sandgapsmthek hams.fiodml“(e&aatsmfl(r)caps &CmeksandGmatsmfl(r)Pestblockln sMgFoanSealantsatespedallyfor- mulated to seal gaps and cracks, blockâ€" ing out air, moisture and even pests. The readyâ€"toâ€" use insulating foam sealants can fill gaps up to 1 inch. When using the prodâ€" uct, be sure to follow safety guidelines, in cluding covering all skin, using gloves and safety goggles, and keeping the work area well ventilated. @©HomeFinder.ca / Open Houses / Agont Profiles / Listing / Demographics Check insulation: insulation is like a blanket that your home wears to help keep everyone inside warm and cory. if S winter with these simple tips your home doesn‘t have the right amount or type of insulation for your climate, it can lose heat, energy efficiency and comfort. About 90 per cent of existing homes don‘t have enough insulation, according to the North American Insulation Manufacturers Association. Follow Energy Star‘s guidelines for more information on how to check your insulaâ€" tion to see if your home could benefit from adding more. Take care of the HVAC system: If your heating, ventilation and air conditioning system isn‘t working as well as it could, you‘re sacrificing comfort and increasing your energy bills. Make sure to check the cooling system in the spring and the heatâ€" ing system in the fall to ensure they are operating efficiently. Have the ducts inspected and seal any leaks. Be sure to change air filters reguâ€" larly, per the system manufacturer‘s recâ€" ommendation for filter type and frequen cy. Dirty air filters restrict airflow, making HVAC systems work harder and consume more energy to heat your home. Don‘t overiook little things: Things as simple as a forgotten window left cracked all affect the amount of heat and comfort that escape your home in the winter. Before the weather turs very cold, make a sweep through your home and check for these minor but important points: * Windows â€" Are all your windows closed? If you‘ve recently sealed around windows, you probably opened them for vemladm.oowledwtobesmyou remembered to close them. *Thermostat â€" is yours properly proâ€" grammed to optimize energy use by ad justing the temperature when you‘re out of the house? Proper use of a programmable menmstatcanctnenetybmsbym $200 per year, according to Energy Star. * Ceiling fans â€" you can use ceiling fans to supplement your furnace during the winter, but you have to remember to reâ€" verse the air flow. Most ceiling fans have a switch that allows you to reverse the direcâ€" tion of the fan blades to spin clockwise, which pushes warm air down from the ceilâ€" ing during winter. www.brandpointcontent.com