Weatherizing your home means making it more comfortable, healthy, safe, environmentally friendly, and affordable to run. Weatherization is often a multi-step process. This guide will explain how to plan your weatherization upgrades, and how you might qualify for no-cost home weatherization through CAC’s weatherization assistance programs.
Weatherization lowers your monthly heating and cooling bills. It protects your family from the outdoor elements year-round. It also makes your home healthier and safer to live in. It does this through several different home upgrades, including:
Insulation and air sealing work together to keep your home protected from outside temperatures. By reducing both air movement and heat transfer in and out of your home, these 2 services provide year-round comfort and energy savings.
Air leaks are small gaps around windows, doors, and other areas where air can escape or enter your house. Air sealing closes those holes, preventing indoor drafts. It also helps prevent outdoor air pollutants from getting inside.
Repairing or replacing your existing furnace, air conditioner, or heat pump can improve your comfort and use less energy, saving you money.
Water heating is a big part of your energy bill. Like heating and cooling system upgrades, repairing or replacing your hot water heater can make a big difference in your home.
Replacing old light bulbs with LED bulbs is a quick and easy way to save energy. LEDs use less energy and last much longer.
If you’re doing it yourself, follow these steps to make the biggest impact:
Insulation and air sealing upgrades should be done together, and are often the best first step in home weatherization. After you’ve removed any old and damaged insulation, you should seal gaps and cracks you find to stop drafts. Then you can replace any insulation you’ve gotten rid of, or add additional insulation to what you already have. Together, insulation and air sealing help you maintain comfortable indoor temperatures and lower energy costs.
After sealing and insulating, look at your heating and cooling systems. An upgrade can make your home more efficient, which saves money.
Upgrade your water heater or add insulation to save on hot water costs.
Finally, swap out your old light bulbs for LEDs. It’s an easy upgrade that makes a big difference.
You have a few options for home weatherization in Maryland:
Option #1 will give you the best results, but it can be expensive.
Option #2 costs less, but you’d still have to pay for it. Plus, most weatherization upgrades are hard to DIY and best left to the pros.
Luckily, Maryland households have a third option: no-cost weatherization assistance from CAC!
CAC provides no-cost weatherization services to income-qualified homeowners and renters throughout Maryland. Programs like ours help families make long-lasting home improvements at no cost. Our weatherization work can include all of the above home improvements and more, from skilled professionals.
This program has higher income limits than other assistance programs we offer, so make sure to review our specific weatherization income requirements.
You can start our application process online! Fill out this intake form, and we’ll review your information. In some cases, we’ll ask you to fill out a full application. In other cases, we can move directly to scheduling an in-person home assessment to determine what weatherization upgrades your home needs.
