Weatherproofing Against the Cold and Rain

It's cold and rainy here in the Bay Area, and that means that most of us have had to turn on the heat in our homes. It's important to be a bit of a detective to make sure that there are no gaps in floors, windows or doors that will allow cold air from outside to come inside.

On a chilly day or night when you're home, go around the house checking for cold spots. If you've got curtains over windows, pay attention to any movement in the curtains when your heating system is off. If the curtains are moving, you likely have air coming in around the windows, and it's time to add some weatherproofing or to replace them.

Make sure that doors fit properly in their frames, both on the sides and top and bottom. Weatherstripping can be purchased to help with some gaps, but won't solve all problems.

Because windows and doors need to open and close, and to be a barrier between the inside of the home and the outside elements, they need to be installed with precision. Some homeowners may be up to the task of tackling those repairs and installations themselves, but if you have any doubt about the task (and want to be able to have the window or door closeable and lockable that evening), you may want to enlist the help of a professional.

The rains are finally here

After almost no rain for 6 months, the rains are finally here. It's time to find out where the leaks are in doors and windows, and to start weatherproofing to keep the heat and dry inside and the cold and wet outside.

Windows are one of the most likely suspects for energy inefficiency, which means that it's important to replace old, leaky windows with new, high-performance windows.

Make sure that whoever installs the new windows uses proper flashing materials and installation methods. Improper installation can cause moldy nightmares later down the road.

Build It Green Advanced Training

It's a real blessing to live in an area where there's such a wealth of information. I've always been committed to building with materials that are more easily renewable, and using engineering that requires fewer of those materials. There's always more to learn, and here in the Bay Area there's a plethora of great resources for more information.

I spent the last few days taking a refresher course with Build It Green (http://www.builditgreen.org/). The course is Advanced Green Building, and covers everything from greywater systems to new building materials out on the market.

In addition to keeping up with green building advances, it's nice to meet so many other green builders. Always a good time mixing better living and better building.