A leaky roof, drafts around the windows and damaged entry doors are more than just inconveniences. Ignoring them could lead to a significant increase in your energy bills. Roof Masters gives you an overview on how addressing these issues can help keep your energy bills relatively low.
The Energy Envelope
To give you a better understanding of how your roof, windows and entry doors affect your home’s energy efficiency, we must first discuss your home’s energy envelope. The energy envelope is the enclosure that is composed of the exterior walls, the roof and fenestrations, which includes doors, windows and skylights – everything that separates your indoor space from the outdoors.
The ideal energy envelope should have enough insulation to prevent heat transference, a phenomenon that causes heat loss during winter and heat gain during summer. Heat tends to move towards cooler places, and if you have a properly-insulated home, it should be able to keep your indoor temperatures stable. This reduces the need for your indoor heating and cooling systems to compensate, which ultimately leads to a significant reduction in your energy bills.
Addressing Leaks
This is why, ideally, you should address energy envelope-related issues as soon as possible. Take leaky roofing systems, for instance. If water can get in from the outside and into your home, then heat could pass through with ease. Plus, rainwater in the attic can cause the insulation to form clumps, leaving gaps that, again, would allow heat to leak.
Drafts are a consequence of heat leaks around doors and windows, but is more typical of the latter. In addition to gaps between the sashes and frames, single-panel window glass (or glazing) is practically a freeway for heat transference.
Glass is a natural heat conductor, which means that it does little by way of insulation. Upgrading to double- or triple-pane glazing solves this problem as the lack of contact between interior and exterior surfaces dramatically reduces conduction. Addressing these issues through repairs or replacement can help improve your home’s energy efficiency.
To learn more about our roof, entry door and window replacement services, call Roof Masters today at (888) 889-7551. You can also fill out our contact form to schedule a free inspection and estimate. We serve many areas in and around Beltsville, MD.