Doors & windows are a vital part of the home’s exterior. Old, damaged, or poorly installed doors & windows will be weak points in the outer envelope where energy will disappear through and cost you a lot of money. Think about how much harder your HVAC system will have to work to keep your house cool in the summer or warm in the winter if the doors & windows are allowing all that air to escape. On the other hand, energy efficient windows and doors will help to keep your house comfortable and reduce your heating and cooling costs.
So how can you know which doors and windows will be the best for your home? The Department of Energy has some helpful tools on their website for homeowners, including:
- A chart that shows window performance ratings by climate zone. Just scroll down to see the recommendations for North Carolina and make sure you choose replacement windows with the suggested performance ratings.
- R-ratings for doors and guidelines on what you should be looking for.
- Tips for actions you can take to reduce energy leakage if you can’t afford replacement windows or a new door right now. These include adding weather stripping, storm windows, screens, etc.
If you’ve noticed that your energy bills are high each month, it might be a good idea to check out your windows and doors and see if they are the culprits of your high energy consumption. If you have the money for it, we highly suggest replacing inefficient doors and windows with energy-efficient ones. An initial investment like this will save you money in the long run by reducing your monthly heating and cooling costs.