Save Energy, Money By Insulating Your Par-Troy Home

Time is money, the old adage goes, but so is a well-winterized house. And in Parsippany, where many different types of homes can be found, from bungalows to historic Victorians to McMansions, there are more than a few that are old and drafty—which boosts energy bills and isn't good for for the planet.

Stopping air leakages is good for conservation—and it can take as much as 30 percent off your heating bill, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

Check out these three tips for closing up air leaks around your home:

1. First, do an energy audit of your house, keeping an eye out for the trouble spots. Windows and doors are obvious places to check, but also look at things like wall outlets and switches, plumbing vents and the attic hatch for leakage. Swaying curtains and light under your doors are sure signs, but you can find less obvious air leaks by using an infrared thermometer to check for temperature variations. Or use a lighted candle (carefully). If the flame moves, air is coming in.
2. Seal the outside of windows with a good quality silicone caulk; use rope caulk on the inside (it can be removed in the spring). Or cover windows with a transparent film, using a hair dryer for adhesion. Other air leaks can be sealed with caulk or self-adhesive weather stripping.  
3. Installing insulation yourself is not easy, but if you have an older home, chances are you need to add more. If the insulation is level with or below the floor joists, you should add more, according to Energy Star, a joint program of the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy.  

Here is a list of local businesses where you can find supplies, environmentally updated heating and cooling appliances and services for insulating your home and making it eco-friendly:

Ricciardi Brothers
160 Route 46
973-276-0400

Home Depot
780 Route 46
973-335-5917

Ben's Depot
63 N Beverwyck Road
732-766-7881

Gripp Plumbing & Heating
43 Reynolds Ave
973-428-9303

CJ Mechanical of North Jersey
200 Baldwin Road
973-541-4840

Elliott's Elite Heating & Cooling
25 Rockaway Place
973-299-6413

Spectra HVAC Mechanical Contractors
3 Renault Drive
973-887-6206

K Cooling & Heating
385 Old Bloomfield Ave
973-276-9670

Blackman
3460 Route 46
973-335-4446

Maders Plumbing & Heating
1 Gatehall Drive
973-993-9774