Staying Cool in Famously Hot Columbia

Columbia is hot. You might say famously. Here are four DIY, low cost, high impact projects to keep the home a little more comfortable and your electric bills a little lower this summer.

1. CLEAN YOUR WINDOWSILLS: This one is so easy, you can delegate it to the kids and at a cost of less than $5, there is not an excuse good enough to not clean away the dirt or debris that may be keeping your window from closing properly, thereby allowing your conditioned air to escape and your HVAC to work harder. Drafty windows are the number one energy leak in the typical home, accounting for 25% of energy loss.

2. INSTALL A DOOR SWEEP: Particularly on the door to the garage, install a door sweep. That door is typically not sealed as tightly as doors directly to the outside, and the home loses cool air to the garage, again overworking the HVAC. You can expect a cost of $10 to $15 per door. You will need a drill.

3. CAULK WINDOWS: Make certain you are using an indoor caulk and that it can be painted, and apply a continuous bead of caulk around the window trim where it meets the wall, at the mitered joints, and between the trim and the frame. Proper air sealing and insulation can save the average homeowner in the area 14%. This is a project that can get messy, so go slow. Caulk is not expensive.

4. CHECK YOUR DUCTS: Distributing air throughout the house, some of that air can be lost to leaks and poorly connected ducts. Apply mastic or metal tape to those leaks. Remember, ducts are in the attic as well.

Walt Smith, Broker

The Stallings & Smith Team

Coldwell Banker Midtown

walt-smith@live.com