During the year's coldest days, you may not have a lot of exterior painting scheduled. At A New Leaf, we're always ready to help you develop painting ideas ahead of time. But in the mean time, it's important to make sure our customers are warm and their homes energy efficient. This means attention to carpentry detail, especially your home's windows! Before we start talking accent paint colors and trim, let's make sure your windows aren't drafty. In most houses, about 20% of your heat is lost through the windows. Here are some ways to detect this problem, and to correct it.
To find out if there is any air leaking in through the outside, perform this simple test. Buy an incense stick from the convenience store or megamart. Let it smolder away in front of the window in question and watch the trail of smoke. Does it waver when held at various seal points around your window? If so, you're losing warm air and taking on the cold. It's time to snuff the incense stick and see about sealing or replacing that drafty window.
Pay close attention to how tight your window closes. Old wooden windows are especially prone to loose seals. This may not result in a draft that you can feel, but will leak warm air slowly and surely. It's better to seal or replace a window like this. It's a one-time investment of a few hours that will make your heat and bill payments go a lot farther all winter long. Double pane and fiberglass windows hold heat better than older designs.
If your windows are snug and secure, try keeping blinds or curtains open during the day. This is especially important if you get direct sunlight through the window. This turns the window into a greenhouse heater during daylight hours. When the sun goes down, or doesn't shine on the window anymore, close the curtains again. This added layer of insulation will keep in the warm air you stored during the day.
As always, A New Leaf painters can handle household installations and repair, as well as all of your general painting needs in the Jacksonville, FL area. Allow us to help you make your home more comfortable and energy efficient. Once that's complete, your house will be all the more ready for that new paint job once Spring rolls back around.