With the economy in its current state, almost everyone is looking for a way to keep a little extra money in the wallet. As it turns out, weatherizing your home with spray foam insulation is one the best ways to keep your home, and your bank account, green. According to the Department of Energy (DOE), the average American home wastes about 30-40% of the money they spend on heating and cooling.

By insulating your home with spray foam, you can reduce cooling or heating costs by as much as 50-60%. The DOE says the average American stands to save about $958 a year with proper insulation installed, or about $80 a month. When spray foam insulation is applied, unwanted condensation is kept at bay. This means no mold or mildew to clean up. Infestations from rodents and insects will be warded off as well, potentially saving many people from a costly exterminator visit, or visits, which is usually the case. Spray foam insulation will also give your home higher quality air, which leads to a healthier atmosphere.

Homes with spray foam insulation also use far less energy than homes with conventional, outdated insulation. Many homes tend to lose efficiency from uncontrolled air leaks, insufficient insulation, and deteriorating ductwork. Typically, existing homes with spray foam insulation installed save close to 40% more energy than before the foam was put in. If you’re looking to reduce the impact you are making on the environment, this is the best place to start.

If saving money doesn’t tickle your fancy, how does making money sound? In Louisiana, there are programs in place, such as HERO, which reward people for weatherizing their homes. There are also national programs that offer similar incentives in the form of tax credits. With an energy audit from Star Spray Foam Systems, they can tell you how much circulation is being wasted in your home, how they will fix it, and how much you stand to save each month. Better still, they will file the paperwork for local, state, and federal rebates for you. This all translates to more money in your pockets.

Louisiana has been recording cases of West Nile virus this year. This virus is most commonly transported by insects that rely on blood for food; namely mosquitoes. Most homes lose a lot of cool air through tiny cracks and holes in various parts of the heating or air conditioning systems, as well as in their attics and basements. These crevices make for easy access points to your home for insects and spiders. Spray foam insulation can help keep you and your loved ones safe in your own home by creating a high quality seal inside your house.

Spray foam insulation is applied in a simple process. As the foam is sprayed, it expands to roughly 10 times its original size. As the foam comes into contact with cracks and crevices, the expansion allows for a complete seal. With such a seal in place, mosquitoes will not be able to penetrate the defenses of your home. The seal also prevents accumulation of unwanted moisture inside your home. This condensation can lead to still water, which makes perfect breeding conditions for mosquitoes and other pests.

Outdated insulation provides little to no resistance when it comes to keeping out mice and rodents. Spray foam’s stability provides a stronger barrier against larger pests. With no nutritional value, spray foam insulation offers no incentive to these vermin. Some traditional insulation methods can actually serve as meals for rodents, practically inviting them in to your home.

By sealing your home with spray foam, you also create a powerful shield against outdoor irritants such as pollen and dust. So while you are keeping out pests that harbor filth and disease, you are also providing your home with a much cleaner environment for your lungs and respiratory system.

Spray foam insulation does more than keep bad stuff out. When applied properly, spray foam will save you a lot of money on your energy bill as well, by keeping the cool air in during the summer. In the winter months, warm air is retained longer. Having a home that is properly insulated can reduce your electric bill by as much as 60%. In the end, this investment will protect your health, your home, and your wallet.

Weatherizing your home is the best way to preserve it against all types of weather. Your home is your castle and every castle needs maintenance to avoid restoration projects later on. In fact, it is cheaper to maintain a house by regularly and diligently looking out for possible weak spots in its structure. When spotted early, these weak spots only need a little patching up.

Weatherization is basically fixing the air leaks in your house. Leaks and vents allow air to move in and out of your house, thus compromising its insulation. Therefore, several potential weak spots in your home should be always checked to insure that your house is properly insulated.

Here is a list of potential sources of insulation problems in your home:

1. The attic is always a potential weak spot in the house. The attic door should be properly sealed to prevent air leakage. Likewise, the chimney should be supported with metal flashing and lined with sealant around its edges to avoid leakage. You should also regularly check the plumbing vents for possible leaks and make sure that they are lined with sealant.
2. The basement is another potential weak point. The first thing you have to do is to plug any A/C ducts found in the basement. Some unnoticed holes might be leaking air into your living room. Check all plumbing around the basement for possible air and water leakage. To avoid aggravating problems later on, seal every hole and gap that you may find whenever you do a regular check of your basement.
3. Windows and doors are potential spots of leakage because they are always moved. To prevent the weakening of the jambs of the door and the window panes, always make sure that you regularly inspect the conditions of the doors and windows. You must weather strip exterior doors to avoid leakage.

A general tip in weatherizing and insulating your home is this: always be on the lookout for potential weak points in your house. Like a vigilant king who manages everything, be wary of these possible weak spots and use countermeasures and common sense to make sure that your home is structurally sound and properly insulated.

Home weatherization is necessary because every home is subject to inclement weather, changing temperatures, and gravitational pull, which all take their toll on your home’s structural integrity. Just like any other material, one’s home has a wear-and-tear aspect, and you must be always on the lookout for possible breaches in its structural integrity. Furthermore, you can save a lot of money if you nip the problem in the bud instead of doing a total restoration of your home.

Your home is your castle; as such, you should make every effort to regularly check every possible leak, as well look for damage, in your home. Cold air, which creeps in from vents and leaks in the attic, basement or other parts of the house during winter, could slowly weaken the materials of your home. Sealing these leaks can reduce humidity and prevent the buildup of molds that slowly weaken your home’s foundation. They should also be properly sealed to avoid the loss of heat in the winter.

Weatherizing your home is basically insulating your home from inside and outside. There are three things you should do to weatherize your home: first, you have to seal every leak to lessen humidity and prevent the entry of pollen, dust and air; second, insulate your home to reduce noise, leaks and to prevent the intrusion of pests into your house; and third, you should do some caulking to prevent the growth of molds and further reduce humidity.

A nonprofit group in Gainesville, Georgia is spreading awareness of a program aiming to reduce the heating utility expenses of low-income households by introducing weatherization treatments.

Ninth District Opportunity Inc. is providing low-income families with home weatherization, which saves energy consumption by barring cold air from leaking into the house during winter.

The Black and Cooley Drive Community Advisory Council reached out to its community and inform them about weatherization by conducting a town-hall style gathering on Athens St. in Gainesville. The council answered queries o how fixed-income households can also avail of the program.

By providing small household renovations that enable energy efficiency, the program is lauded by Diane Tanksley, coordinator for Ninth District opportunity. The program can bring insulation and repair services to residents, but does not cover plumbing and electricity needs.

Weatherization is a home improvement measure that protects buildings and homes from the elements. By protecting the house form precipitation, sunlight, and cold wind, the treatment reduces energy consumption and increase efficiency.

Tanksley added that the residents gain more from the process because it lowers their utility bills. The Ninth District Opportunity will also launch another program that will help residents audit their energy bills.

The organization has been given federal funding to support its weatherization campaign. The program has reached out to 13-counties including Forsyth, Lumpkin, Hall, and Dawson, but according Tanksley those who need the service are not always informed about it.

A resident in the Black and Cooley Drive Community, Johnny Varner is making sure his neighbors are informed about the program and take advantage of it. Many members of the community advisory like Varner are pushing to publicize the information campaigns and assist the residents with their paperwork.

In a similar effort in San Antonio, Texas, the city government coordinated with CPS Energy to provide weatherization to about 160 households. The program, funded by a stimulus, received a total of 17.3 million and is projected to weatherize about 3,500 homes by next year.

The program also include renovations for low-income residents, such as floor, wall and attic insulation, energy-saving lighting and solar panels, as well as services that reduces the risk of mold and mildew and carbon monoxide poisoning.

A number of homes also received weather stripping and caulking on windows and installed with wall heaters. Residents look forward to a 25 percent reduction in utility bills, as calculated by CPS.

Two years ago, San Antonio was initially given $12.4 million to weatherize about 1,400 homes as part of the Obama administration’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The state of Texas received $327 million to improve households and save cost and energy while also creating job opportunities. San Antonio collaborated with CPS which enlisted the work of local companies.

The Texas department of Housing and Community Affairs was busy gathering additional staff while managing the intricacies of federal rules. They then became involved in training the cities, most of which, like San Antonio, had never before been involved in a weatherization program.

If you want to know more about the benefits of weatherization and how to get it for your own home, visit: http://www.ecostarfoam.com/.