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Open for
Business! Rain, sleet, snow, or shine
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FEB.
5-6, 2011
“Nashoba
Valley home & garden Show”,
Boxborough (MA) Holiday Inn,
I-495, Exit
28, Boxborough, Ma. |
A
fabulous event to talk over your ideas with experts in home design,
flooring, heating and cooling systems and learn about new building
techniques and materials - look out for great home improvement
displays. |
Hours:
| Saturday |
10am - 6pm |
| Sunday |
10am - 5pm |
Admission:
| Adult |
6.00 |
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| Children 16 & Under
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FREE |
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| Seniors 60 & Over
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$5.00 |
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Conveniently
Located
Off of
I-495, Exit 28 North or South
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WHERE TO LOOK FOR
ENERGY SAVINGS:
If
you need help, ask one of our many exhibitors for help.
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Flues and Vents
Fireplace flues and kitchen and dryer vents are often poorly
sealed where they pass through walls and ceilings. The air leaks
can be fixed with a combination of heat-resistant caulking and
metal collar plates.
Holes Around Plumbing
Holes around pipes through walls, ceilings and floors are often
larger than required, allowing untreated air infiltration. Check
all of the pipes running to your bathroom, kitchen and laundry
area for gaps and fill any gaps around the pipes with insulation
and seal with caulking or a wall patch.
Air Infiltration Through Walls
An air barrier house wrap should be used during construction,
remodeling or re-siding to prevent air infiltration through your
walls.
Poorly Fitted Heat Registers
Gaps between the edge of the register and the wall or floor can
often be sealed easily with caulking. Be sure to use
heat-resistant caulking.
Light Switches and Outlets
The space behind light switches and outlets can be easily sealed
with foam gaskets specifically designed for this purpose. The
gaskets are available at any hardware store and prevent air from
coming in through the wall space. Don't forget to seal internal
wall switches and outlets, as well.
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Cracks Around Doors
As your home settles, gaps can open along the door frame and the
threshold - letting in lot's of air. Installing and/or replacing
the weather-stripping around the door and threshold can solve
this problem. For a large gap at the bottom of the door, replace
the old threshold with a door shoe gasket.
Heat Loss Around Windows
Apply glazing compound to wooden windows where the window glass
meets the frame, and caulk where the window frame meets the
house. For leaks around aluminum windows can be sealed using
weather-stripping.
Replacement Windows
If you're planning on replacing your windows, install
double-paned windows with low-emissivity coating and inert gas
between the panes to reduce your energy bills.
Fireplaces
Keep the damper closed when your fireplace is not in use. Also,
adding a glass door to your fireplace will prevent air-leakage
into your home.
Ducts
Insulate your heating (and cooling) ducts to reduce heat loss as
the air is delivered through your home. Leaking ducts allow
air-leakage into unoccupied spaces. Sealing duct joints with
mastic sealent and insulating your duct work to R-6 will reduce
your energy bills and keep you more comfortable.
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Floors
A considerable amount of energy can be saved by insulating
floors to R-19.
Walls
In the winter, a home with insulated walls feels warmer and more
comfortable than a home with un-insulated walls - even if the
thermostats are set to the same temperature. Insulated walls
will also keep you cooler in the summer by reducing the
infiltration of warmer air from the outside. Walls should be
insulated to R-11 or higher.
Attic
Insulating your ceiling is an easy and inexpensive way to cut
heating and cooling bills by as much as 20% to 30%. Attics
should be insulated to R-30.
System Maintenance
Clean or replace furnace and air-conditioner filters once a
month and have your system serviced annually to maintain safe
and efficient operating conditions.
Thermostat
A programmable thermostat will help you control your heating and
air-conditioning more effectively. These units, available in
hardware stores, are easy to install and easy to program to
automatically turn your system down or off while you're away or
asleep and to turn it on or up at any time you set.
Water Heater
A water heater tank wrap and insulation for the first six feet
of hot and cold water pipes can reduce your water heater's
operating cost up to 15%. Check the Operating Manual for your
water heater or check with the manufacturer -- many newer tanks
should not be wrapped.
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