The INDEPENDENT, December 21,1994
Page 11
Give your home a winter tune-up; be more comfortable; save $$
Can you spare $50 and
one or two weekend a fte r
noons to save five to 10 per
cent on heating bills all winter
long? T h a t’s all it takes to
make the most effective ener
gy efficiency improvements in
many Oregon homes, accord
ing to Suzanne Dillard, resi
dential program coordinator
for the Oregon Department of
Energy.
“Whether you rent or own,
there are things you can do to
Randall E. Holce
Certified Public Accountant
622 Bridge St., Vernonia # 429-8031
make your home more com
fortable this winter,” says Dil
lard. “Just plugging obvious
holes and cra c k s in yo u r
house and adding p la s tic
storm s to single-pane w in
dows will warm up surfaces,
reduce drafts and cut heat
loss." If you own your home,
adding insulation and improv
ing heating system efficiency
may also be sm art in ve st
ments, Dillard points out.
Begin your winter tune-up
by sealing air leaks. If you
want to tackle just one project
this weekend, plug holes be
low kitchen and bathroom
sinks. Check for gaps around
pipe s th ro u g h w a lls and
floors. Slide plastic or metal
trim rings away from the wall
or floor. They may be cover
ing up huge gaps. Fill them
with acrylic latex caulk, ex
panding foam, or rags stuffed
in a plastic bag.
If you’re ready to do more,
head for the attic. Seal holes
where plumbing vent stacks,
ducts and wiring enter rooms
below. Use plywood or wall-
board for large holes— over
drop ceilings, for exam ple.
Caulk and expanding foam
w ork w ell fo r cra cks and
gaps. D on’t seal around
chim neys and flues unless
you use special high-temper
ature sealants. Insulate and
weatherstrip the attic access
hatch or panel for a tight fit.
Next stop is the basement
or crawl space. Cold air en
tering here cools off the entire
house. Seal holes around
pipes and wiring where they
enter the floor. Seal holes
where pipes and wiring enter
the basement. Fill large holes
around pipes with a plastic
bag stuffed with rags. Caulk
basement window and door
frames.
Now you're ready to tight
en up the living space. This is
a good tim e to solve any
m old or m ildew problem s.
Weatherizing your home can
make them more obvious.
Patch holes in plaster and
gypsum board on in te rio r
walls. Seal gaps along the
top and bottom edges of
baseboards. C aulk around
window and door frames from
the in s id e . W e a th e rs trip
lo o s e -fittin g w ind ow s and
doors. Adjust latches for tight
closure. If you have a fire
p la ce w ith a p o o r-fittin g
damper, make a cover for the
face of the fireplace out of
plywood or cardboard. Or in
vest about $20 in an inflat
able chimney pillow or draft
stopper.
Single-pane windows can
m ake you fe e l c h illy even
when your thermostat is set
above 70°F. That’s because
your body radiates heat to
co ld e r su rfa ce s the way a
lighted fireplace radiates heat
to you. Installing interior plas
tic storm windows over sin
g le -p a n e w in d o w s in the
rooms you sit in the most is
an excellent investment. They
warm up window surfaces,
cut heat loss in half, and seal
around loose-fitting windows.
“Shrink-wrap” is good for
one winter. Vinyl “snap-track”
storm windows last several
Please see page 24
-, Z
I
Vernonia Sentry
Bi M
Mario Leonetti
Kathy Squires
Shelly Stevens
Michael Crawford
Michael Jackson
Bunny Simmons
Don Chapel
Angela Wolfe
John Barcus
Sharon Dickey
A R K IT V
Gordon Smith
Sharon Parrow
Corrie Ramsey
Leah Keenon
Justin Jones
Katie Parrow
Chuck Hendryx
Gladys Sharar
Jody Milburn
Jeni Ervin
Robert Jackson
Stephanie Squires
Randy Parrow
Errold Burch
Gwen Green
Ray Dement
Dave Riley
Katy O’Dair
Sentry Market will Close at 5 p.m. Christmas Eve * Closed Christmas Day * Regular Hours 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. - 7 Days a Week
Scrub Tub will Close at 3 p.m. Christmas Eve * Closed Christmas Day
735 Jefferson Ave., Vernonia, OR 97064 • 429-3811
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