{"id":4499,"date":"2019-09-23T12:00:08","date_gmt":"2019-09-23T16:00:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sahomebuilder.com\/\/blog\/?p=4499"},"modified":"2023-04-11T01:42:32","modified_gmt":"2023-04-11T05:42:32","slug":"winter-coming-your-home-ready","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sahomebuilder.com\/blog\/winter-coming-your-home-ready\/","title":{"rendered":"Winter is Coming \u2013 is Your Home Ready?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sahomebuilder.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Canterbury_1159_1066x646.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright wp-image-4500\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sahomebuilder.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Canterbury_1159_1066x646.jpg\" alt=\"Winter is Coming \u2013 is Your Home Ready?\" width=\"399\" height=\"242\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sahomebuilder.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Canterbury_1159_1066x646.jpg 1066w, https:\/\/www.sahomebuilder.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Canterbury_1159_1066x646-300x182.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.sahomebuilder.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Canterbury_1159_1066x646-768x465.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sahomebuilder.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Canterbury_1159_1066x646-1024x621.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 399px) 100vw, 399px\" \/><\/a>The leaves are changing, and it is now officially fall! With the blustery winds rolling in, is it any surprise that October is Energy Awareness Month? Now is an excellent time to evaluate your home and make sure it is performing to top energy-efficient standards because winter is coming next!<!--more--><\/p>\n<p><strong>Make Sure Faucets Leak, Not Your House<br \/>\n<\/strong>Everyone knows the age-old trick of letting cold water drip from faucets served by exposed pipes when exterior temperatures dip below 32 degrees (even the slightest trickle can prevent pipes from freezing), but the same principle is not encouraged for optimal energy efficiency when it comes to drafty windows and doors. Caulk windows that leak air and add weatherstripping to the base of doors that allow cool air through. For especially cold areas (like Pennsylvania) consider adding storm windows to provide supplementary insulation to otherwise thin areas of the home.<\/p>\n<p>Be sure to check these other common areas for air leaks:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Dropped ceilings<\/li>\n<li>Recessed lighting<\/li>\n<li>Attic entrances<\/li>\n<li>Water and fireplace flutes<\/li>\n<li>Air ducts<\/li>\n<li>Outlets and switches<\/li>\n<li>Plumbing and utility access points<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Preventative Maintenance is Cheaper than Emergency Repairs<br \/>\n<\/strong>Preventative maintenance is considered proactive and costs a fraction of most emergency repairs. Be sure to check your home\u2019s air filter once a month and replace as recommended to help boost the heating system\u2019s performance \u2013 a dirty and clogged air filter can make a home\u2019s heating system work harder and less energy-efficiently to push air throughout your home.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Winterize Your Mannerisms<br \/>\n<\/strong>A key factor in any home\u2019s energy-efficiency are the people within it. Here are some best practices to reduce your home energy use:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Keep blinds and curtains on south-facing windows open during the day to allow sunlight in and provide free heating, but be sure to close them at night to contain the accrued heat<\/li>\n<li>The <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.energy.gov\/energysaver\/thermostats\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Department of Energy<\/a><\/strong> recommends keeping the thermostat at 68 degrees and turning it lower by 7 to 10 degrees for at least 8 hours a day while the house is unoccupied and\/or at night \u2013 this method can save you up to 10% annually on heating and cooling costs!<\/li>\n<li>Reverse the direction of ceiling fans to redistribute the warm air throughout the room and eliminate cold-air pockets \u2013 but don\u2019t forget to adjust the fans back to counter-clockwise in the spring!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Energy-efficient living is easy in a home from S&amp;A Homes. Many homebuyers mistakenly think all new homes are built to the same standards. Unfortunately, those living in a code-built new home will waste thousands of dollars on additional utility expenses compared to an S&amp;A homeowner over a 7-year period. In fact, the average S&amp;A home is 35% more efficient than a standard code-built new home. This can translate to hundreds of dollars, even thousands, saved every year depending on where you live.*<\/p>\n<p>A home\u2019s energy efficiency is measured in its Home Energy Rating Score (HERS), provided by a third-party verification firm for every home S&amp;A builds. This critical piece of information provides the home\u2019s specific energy score and efficiency details. With HERS, a high score indicates excessive waste and expensive utility bills while a lower score indicates the home is built to lower utility expenses and optimize energy efficiency.<\/p>\n<p>S&amp;A homes include the industry\u2019s latest and most effective technology revolutions, approaching energy-efficiency from a whole-house performance perspective. Click <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sahomebuilder.com\/life-in-a-sa-home\">here<\/a> to learn more about Life in an S&amp;A Home \u2013 and happy fall!<\/p>\n<p><em>*This information does not constitute any warranty of energy cost of savings and is presented for comparison purposes only. Savings are average estimates for single-family homes located in the S&amp;A Homes sales areas.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>The amount of savings will vary based on house type, house size, lot orientation, local utility rates, climate conditions and owner\u2019s operation of the home.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The leaves are changing, and it is now officially fall! With the blustery winds rolling in, is it any surprise that October is&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,454],"tags":[551],"class_list":["post-4499","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","category-tips","tag-home-maintenance-tips"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v24.9 (Yoast SEO v24.9) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Winter is Coming \u2013 is Your Home Ready? - Building Forward<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Winter is coming! Get your home ready with our top tips and advice. 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