? N I —_ gTRELCH IDEAS BUDGET Insulate Your Home,Insulate Your Wallet (NAPSA)—Youcan do something about the soaring energy prices that have skyrocketed the cost of heating and cooling a home by 400 percent in the past decade. Most homeowners would be alarmed to learn that 40 cents of every dollar they spend on home heating and cooling goes right out the window, almost literally. Insufficient insulation around windows and doors accounts for a fifth of home energy loss alone. Energy efficient window and door systems can reduce the amount of heat that passes through glass panes and frames. But their efficiency is significantly compromised if the rough opening is not properly insulated. These rough openings typically leave one-half to 1.5 inches between the outer frame of the window or door and the home’s structural framing. This gap, if not properly sealed, allows air, heat and moisture to pass freely in and out. The best time to insulate windows and exterior doors is when they are installed. If this is done professionally, ask the installer to use a foam sealant like Great Stuff Window & Doorto fill the gaps. If you are installing them yourself, follow the directions on the blue can. The foam will expand once it is applied, so only fill the gap 50 percent full. A low-pressure, long-lasting polyurethane formulation specifically designed to air-seal these gaps, Great Stuff Window & Door has been proven not to bow or distort frames and provides the highest insulating barrier on the market. It remains soft and flexible, even after curing, and is water resistant. Someinstallers stuff fiberglass insulation into the gaps, which is not an air sealant and loses its insulation value when compressed. Caulking and spackling are also ineffective because they offer no insulation value and dry and crack over time. To air-seal existing windows and exterior doors, the casing mustfirst be removed. Use a fresh razor knife and score completely around the point where the casing touches the wall to break any paint or putty bond. Then, using a pry bar, carefully remove the casings and set them aside in the order you took them off and follow the directions on the can. For more information, go to www.dowgreatstuff.com or call 1- 800-800-FOAM (3626).
