Local Habitat for Humanity helps residents winterize

HOUGHTON – Houghton County continues to try and make their community more energy efficient, even if it’s one home at a time.

There are many small ways to save big on your energy bills this winter. Students from the Youth Advisory Council (YAC) spent part of the weekend helping a Calumet resident do just that with some winterization.

Habitat for Humanity got the project started by replacing the windows on the home and the students focused on insulating the rim joist.

Houghton Energy Efficiency Team Manager Melissa Davis said, “And so we’re going all the way around the perimeter of the house and what once we get the blue board all cut, we’ll take spray foam, spray foam behind the blue board, stick the blue board back in and spray foam in front of it.”

The project was funded through a grant from the Keweenaw Community Foundation Youth Advisory Council.
Taking steps like these are easier than they seem.

Youth Advisory Council Co–Chair Ben Lilleskov said, “It’s easier than I thought it would be, just cutting a little bit of blue board and it already feels quite a bit warmer.”

Houghton County continues to compete for the Georgetown Energy Prize of $5 million, so all residents are encouraged to look for ways to make their homes more energy efficient.