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Home » Energy Savings at Home » Seal & Insulate » Identify the Problems You Want to Fix

Energy Savings at Home

Advice, tools, resources and inspiration to help you save energy
  • All Ways to Save
  • DIY Home Assessment
  • Heating & Cooling
  • Seal & Insulate
  • Expert Home Improvements
  • My ENERGY STAR Dashboard

Identify the Problems You Want to Fix

Use the chart below to match your biggest concerns to the home improvement projects that may be able to address them and deliver the comfort and energy efficiency you are looking for.

Common Problems What to Look For Projects
Attic
  • Drafty rooms
  • Hot and cold rooms; uneven temperature between rooms
  • High heating or cooling bills
  • Ice dams on roof in the winter
  • Check the insulation level in your attic
  • Check for air leaks
  • Attic Air Sealing Project
  • Attic Insulation Project
Basement/ Crawlspace
  • Cold floor in the winter
  • Hot and cold rooms; uneven temperature between rooms
  • High heating or cooling bills
  • Pests (insects, rodents)
  • Check the insulation level in your basement/crawlspace
  • Check for air leaks
  • Basement/Crawlspace Air Sealing and Insulation Project
Ducts
  • High heating or cooling bills
  • Hot and cold rooms; uneven temperature between rooms
  • Dust or smells from attic or crawlspace
  • Look for cracks, kinks, loose air supply boots or missing insulation
  • Duct Air Sealing
  • Duct Insulation
Doors/Windows/ Walls
  • Drafty rooms
  • Pests (insects)
  • Check the insulation level in your walls
  • Check for air leaks
  • Air Sealing Wall Penetrations
  • Air Sealing Electrical Outlets
  • Air Sealing Behind Window and Door Trim
  • Weatherstripping Doors
  • Weatherstripping Windows
  • Applying Plastic Over Windows
  • Air Sealing Fireplaces

warningCombustion Safety

In some situations, sealing your home or ductwork can cause combustion appliances like water heaters to backdraft, creating unsafe conditions inside your home.

Inspection and testing by a home energy professional can help to identify combustion-related health and safety issues that should be fixed before any air sealing or other efficiency improvements are made.

warningSafe Indoor Air Quality

Sealing your home may trap indoor air pollutants such as radon, carbon monoxide and volatile organic compounds. A tight home may require additional mechanical ventilation to maintain safe air quality in the home.

For more information on safe ventilation, visit EPA's Indoor Air Quality for Homes pages and DOE's Guide to Home Ventilation. 

Get Started on Your Projects

Attic air sealing

Attic Air Sealing

Seal Behind Window and Door Trim

Seal Behind Window and Door Trim

Attic insulation

Attic Insulation

Applying Plastic Over Windows

Applying Plastic Over
Windows

Basement/crawlspace

Basement/crawlspace

Seal & Insulate

  • Why Seal and Insulate?
  • Methodology for Estimated Energy Savings
  • Look for ENERGY STAR Certified Insulation
  • Identify the Problems You Want to Fix
    • What to Look For: DIY Checks and Inspections
  • Determine the Effort Required
  • Assess the Level of Opportunity
  • Attic Air Sealing Project
  • Attic Insulation Project
  • Basement & Crawlspace Air Sealing and Insulating Project
  • Sealing Behind Window & Door Trim Project
  • Applying Plastic Over Windows Project
  • A Do-It-Yourself Guide to Sealing and Insulating with ENERGY STAR

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