5 Winter Tips for a Healthy Home

There are a few winter tips that (almost) everyone knows, such as opening your blinds when the sun is shining, closing your front door, and not leaving the fridge open ... but we won't mention those here. Here are some lesser known tips that might end up saving you a lot of money and headache this winter.

1. Don't leave it out in the cold. 

If your hot water heater is in your attic or garage, it is a good idea to wrap it with insulation to not lose heat.

2. Open or closed?

It is usually best to open your crawl space vents during the dry winter months to help dry out your crawl space. The one exception is when it is so cold that your pipes could freeze. But that is unlikely in the Carolinas. The geothermal heat rising from the ground under your house is usually enough to keep your crawl space above freezing, and if you have a gas furnace it will also give off enough radiant heat to keep your crawl space above 32 F. 

3. Did you know?  

Condensation (which can lead to mold) is usually thought of as a summer problem. But condensation can happen in your crawl space wherever warm and cold air mix. It can happen in the winter if your crawl space is warm and cold air is being sucked in through the vents. 

4. Who turned out the light? 

Check your crawl space regularly to ensure that bulk water is not present. Aside from causing other problems such as mold and structural damage, water can extinguish your furnace’s pilot light which can lead to carbon monoxide being leaked into your home.

5. I feel a draft!  

If you feel a draft on your first floor, there is a good chance it is coming from the crawl space. Draftiness or cold patches are often due to missing insulation or utility penetrations created in the sub floor during construction. Other than leaving your front door open, the crawl space is the easiest (and most often overlooked) way for cold air to sneak in. The best way to keep this from happening is to seal or encapsulate your crawl space. By sealing out all the outside air and insulating the walls, a sealed crawl space drastically improves the indoor air quality and energy efficiency or your home.