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Dulley's Money-Saving Tip #1106

Snow is a good foundation air seal

(related column topic links - (701, 904)

We just had another four inches of snow today. Although the snow feels cold on your hands and feet, it can actually be a good foundation insulator and sealer. There is a lot of energy loss through the exposed foundation surface of most houses. There is also a lot of air leakage where the house walls rest on the top of the foundation.

Unless your basement or crawl space has a water leakage problem, do not shovel the snow away from the foundation. The snow will seal any cold air leaks. It will also create a thermal buffer from the cold nighttime winds. As soon as above-freezing temperatures are forecast, you can them shovel the snow right against the walls.