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In some cases, the attic is one of the most valuable spaces in your home. However, if yours is accessed via a ceiling hatch, it is worth insulating the upper side of the hatch door to stop warm air escaping. A long-term fix is to pull it up and insulate beneath it, or to fill gaps between floorboards.
California just experienced a ‘miracle’ water year. But winter could bring new challenges
17 Drought-Tolerant Plants that Don't Need Water Very Often - Better Homes & Gardens
17 Drought-Tolerant Plants that Don't Need Water Very Often.
Posted: Mon, 22 Jan 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]
Clay soil is very common in Texas, and Jean-Louis Briaud, professor of civil engineering at Texas A&M in College Station has compared clay soil to a sponge. Drought causes many threats to the integrity of your home, which is something that many homeowners don’t realize until they’ve experienced it. Extended periods of dryness cause foundations to shift, crack, and sink when the surrounding soil loses essential moisture. No matter how well sealed your windows, glass is not as good an insulator as a solid wall, so you will often feel colder in a room with a large window or glazed door. While sunlight in the day might offer some relief and welcome natural warmth, this isn't the case in every zone and every home, and at night, you will be glad of thick drapes.
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The higher the R-value, the more of a barrier your insulation will provide—and the better it will stop your heat from escaping through your roof. The next crucial step is to properly insulate your attic (because the chances are good that your attic is either under-insulated or not insulated at all). It’s painstaking, methodical work—and it’s important to find the right professional to do it—but it can make a dramatic difference in how your home feels. All of these openings in the house—many so small you can barely see them—create pathways for air to travel through. Is your house so drafty that it feels like a haunted old castle? He formally ran energy efficiency consultancy WeatherWorks and was a speaker and expert at the Homebuilding & Renovating Shows across the country.
Fill gaps around your door and window frames with silicone
The shrubs can get large but it’s best to cut them low to the ground every year to refresh the plant so it grows and blooms again. It blooms profusely with white flowers, providing excellent cover to birds and other animals. Draughty floorboards are a common issue in a lot of period homes with original floors. They add a lot of character as space, but come with the possibility of gaps that can allow draughts up and into the room, especially if you are dealing with floorboards on an upper level of your house. 'Insulation can help reduce energy consumption and save money on heating costs. It also helps in improving indoor air quality, which can be beneficial for people with asthma or allergies,' the expert says.
Seal an Unused Chimney
Plant roots will hold moisture in the soil and also keep the area shaded, which is incredibly important during drought periods. A consistent, but not overcrowded, row of plants along your foundation can help retain moisture without depleting resources. As a homeowner, window and doors must be fully functional to provide convenient access and maximize energy efficiency. However, if you experience a drought, chances are that you may start having issues with your windows and doors sticking. You can replace these features, but will likely have the same problems with new windows and doors if your foundation is broken and uneven.
The hacks that can help to keep your home warmer - BBC.com
The hacks that can help to keep your home warmer.
Posted: Mon, 15 Jan 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]
If the person on the other side sees light, you may have a leak. We know how to fix your house, we know the right people to do it, and we can get the project done with a minimum of hassle to you. And that’s exactly what you need to do if you want to bring drafts to a stop. Your insulation’s R-value is the measure of how efficient it is at stopping heat transfer.
For bigger problems, fix your insulation.
All across the country, droughts are taking a serious toll on crops, livestock, plants, and even the foundations of homes. Homeowners are faced with tens of thousands of dollars of damage each year due to foundation repairs, some of which could be prevented. The cost of foundation repairs can reach $100,000 or more, and these costs are not often covered by homeowners’ insurance. Reading up on which type of heating is the cheapest to run is a great way to ensure your energy costs are as low as possible for future winters or if you are remodelling. However, this year you can get ahead of the cold weather and high energy bills with these expert draft-proofing tips that can make a real difference in your home.
During her BA in English Literature and Creative Writing, she gained writing experience in the US while studying in New York. Megan also focused on travel writing during her time living in Paris, where she produced content for a French travel site. She currently lives in London with her antique typewriter and an expansive collection of houseplants. But before we get to the frames, look at filling any gaps between the window or door frames and the masonry [such as the brick/block] it sits within. 'This is where lots of air escapes from, so you should focus on these gaps first,' George explains. Turn off the furnace and water heater and turn on exhaust fans.
Black sage
In fact, too much summer watering can kill many native plants, so expect to reduce their water usage down to a monthly drink if there’s no rain. The strangely named black sage (Salvia mellifera) actually has fragrant feathery green leaves and stalks of white flowers with violet edges. This hybrid comes from Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, one of the state’s premiere native plant gardens, as a cross between black sage and Sonoma sage (Salvia sonomensis).
These South African natives are bulletproof in SoCal gardens, seeming to thrive in hot sunny locations. They’re a member of the mint family, so they spread fairly easily, and when the flowers dry, they continue to add interest in the garden. And like most household repairs, the longer you wait to call a professional to take a look at your foundation, the more extensive and expensive the repairs will be. So inspect your home often for damage and don’t delay when you see the first signs of cracking.
The less obvious areas are keyholes, kitchen cupboards (where pipes are likely to penetrate walls), loft hatches and downlights. If you have caused damage to the property, either intentionally or through negligence, the onus is on you to fix issues caused. Visit our tenant rights guide to find out more about your statutory rights and tackling common renters' issues. A keyhole cover is a metallic disc that stops draughts and slides to the side when you put your key in – a cover costs about £3.
For a detailed, step-by-step guide, read How to find air leaks in your house. And those gaps are everywhere—in the foundation, the walls, the attic, in your chimney, your attic entrance, your recessed lighting fixtures, the holes for wiring and plumbing. The problem is that your house is probably cycling air at 3 to 4 times the amount necessary, which makes it very difficult for even the best HVAC system to efficiently control the temperature. It also can have a negative effect on your home’s indoor air quality.
Draft-proofing windows and doors is one of the most powerful ways you can warm your home, according to chartered architect George Omalianakis of GOAStudio London. All cracks and gaps in skirting boards and frame-to-wall joints can be treated with decorator’s caulk or silicone. Standard silicone will dry and shrink over time allowing the draught to return. Specific airtight silicone overcomes this problem, though it is more expensive. Hydro-zoning refers to planting groups of species together in specific regions of the garden based on their water needs.
For instance, species like lavender and some varieties of lilies are both drought tolerant and welcoming to hummingbirds and other local inhabitants that help pollinate the flowers throughout the garden. If the amount of maintenance needed is not a determining factor for your landscape, consider picking plants native to California or regions with Mediterranean climates. These plants will react positively with the external environment — from coping well with various California soils to surviving on little water — and attract organisms such as bees and butterflies. Think about the amount of work you’re willing to dedicate to your garden. While choosing solely drought-resistant plants may accomplish the primary goal, many types of grass and shrubs require continual maintenance to avoid creating a jungle in the yard.
Less than a year after facing historic water shortages, California this week was declared drought-free thanks to a year of epic rains, with an El Niño forecast that could keep wet conditions going into 2024. With these tips in mind, here are their suggestions for shouldn’t-be-missed drought-tolerant plants. Rising energy prices on both sides of the Atlantic are highlighting the increasing cost of living and learning how to cut energy bills is becoming an increasing priority for many of us. If the insulation in your attic doesn't reach the top of the floor joists, there's not enough to trap heat. Visit a home improvement store for DIY attic insulation or hire someone to get the job done. Or, discover how you can work with Sealed to get your home completely air sealed… with an energy-savings guarantee.
There are viable ways to restore the integrity of your foundation and protect it from future drought conditions. It’s important to not overwater your foundation though, because an excess of moisture can result in an unwanted edge lift. This occurs when the edge of the foundation’s exterior is raised above the edge of the interior. As a general guideline, watering twice a day for 15 minutes with a soaker hose and timer should do the trick. According to Texas A&M AgriLife, watering your foundation is the most effective way to protect it from damage during a drought.
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