Just What is Weatherization Anyway?

Wednesday, April 19th, 2017 by Joy Padgett

The word “weatherization” has been circulating for quite a while, but mostly in regards to government programs. Because of this, it isn’t widely understood amongst us “normal” people. So, just what does “weatherization” mean?

Well, by definition (using Wikipedia) weatherization “is the practice of protecting a building and its interior from the elements, particularly from sunlight, precipitation, and wind, and of modifying a building to reduce energy consumption and optimize energy efficiency.”

We can begin to understand weatherization using this definition. But let’s go a bit further. Houses are built using various types of building materials (brick, stone, vinyl, concrete board, wood, etc.) and are designed to provide its occupants protection from the weather. This makes total sense. The problems arise when the house is NOT reducing energy consumption and optimizing energy efficiency. Because of this, we have rooms in our homes that are too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter. Utility bills can change dramatically as the outdoor temperatures fluctuate.

This is where weatherization comes into play. The process of having a home “weatherized” includes having an experienced and trained evaluator conduct an inspection of the home and its various systems to determine where and how the house is failing to perform. This means the house is NOT working to reduce energy consumption or maximize energy efficiency. Let’s face it….this means our houses are using more electricity and/or natural gas than they should…..which means we are paying higher utility bills than we should be paying.

Once the evaluator has completed the examination of the home, the next step for weatherizing is to explain the findings to the people living in the home and provide the solutions to the issues discovered during the evaluation. Don’t worry, you don’t have to versed in “weatherization lingo” when you’re dealing with the inspectors at Weatherization Plus. They make it easy to understand what they have uncovered and just how to solve the problems they found.

Finally, and most importantly, comes the actual work of weatherizing the home. Since each home is different, each home receives a customized analysis and list of solutions. These solutions range from air sealing to insulation to duct sealing to encapsulation. Each of these measures will provide a degree of energy efficiency which often tranfers into an increased level of comfort for the occupants of the home. As an added bonus, many people will also see a decrease in utility consumption….just a fancy way of saying lower utility bills.

I have saved the absolute best for last….IF you contact Weatherization Plus, they can actually perform the complete “weatherization process” for you….including installing the solutions!!! What!!!??? Am I kidding?? Nobody around here does it all???

You are so right….but so wrong. Weatherization Plus is the ONLY 1-stop shop for ALL your weatherization needs! There’s no need to work with multiple contractors and try to coordinate all those schedules. Weatherization Plus makes the process so easy!

Located in Versailles, we cover the Central Kentucky area including the wonderful cities of Danville, Winchester, Bardstown, Shelbyville and Richmond! Call us today!