This happens every year at my house: one morning I wake up and, as if a switch was flipped in the night, suddenly cold and I need to find my cozy slippers. And that's usually when I realize I haven't actually taken any steps to winterize my home.
If this describes you too, the good news is that winterizing your home is not a very difficult process. With a few affordable products and a little effort, you can button up your home and make sure it's as comfortable as possible when cold winds begin to blow.
Generally speaking, your goal is to reduce cold air intrusion into the cabin and improve the efficiency of your heating system. There are some simple, cheap and easy ways to do this:
Change the direction of ceiling fans. If you have ceiling fans in your home, you should already know that the direction they spin matters. In winter, set the fans to rotate clockwise and run them at low speed. This will help direct warm air back toward the floor without causing a cold wind.
Clean gutters. If your gutters are clogged, water won't be able to drain effectively from your roof, ice dams will form, and your roof (and the inside of your home) may be damaged as a result. Before it gets to zero degrees, pull out the ladder and clean the suction cups.
Open/close the ventilation holes. Vents push warm air into rooms, but they can also allow cold drafts to circulate or warm air to flow out of a room if they are not actively used. Some magnetic vent covers Allows you to block vents that do more harm than good, helping to retain warm air longer.
Install door stops. No exterior door will have a perfect seal, meaning cold air will flow in while warm air will escape. A door stopper is a simple and lightweight addition to any door that will protect against drafts.
Install the sealing tape. Adhesive rubber seal applied around door frames and windows can eliminate tiny gaps where air leaks in and out. If this doesn't work for you, there is also sealing tape like thiswhich can be applied directly to windows and door frames to block drafts and can be removed when the weather warms up again.
Install outdoor faucet covers. If you have external taps or pipes, they need to be protected faucet covers to prevent them from freezing, as well as possible freezing and rupture of the pipes supplying them, which probably lie inside a house ready to cause expensive damage.
Install window film. It's the simplest idea in the world, but it really works: cover the windows with plastic, use heat to roll the plastic into a drum sheet and voila—you've added very effective insulation to what are essentially holes in your home. These window kits are quite easy to install and only require a hair dryer to complete.
Install the cylinder on the chimney. In winter, chimneys and fireplaces may have a central draft. Inexpensive chimney ball it's a simple and effective way to lock those drafts. If you have a fireplace that you don't use often, fireplace plug that's a great idea too.
Add some pipe insulation tubes. Frozen pipes are no fun. In fact, they are potentially expensive and dangerous, so now is the time to spend a little time and money insulating exposed pipes, wherever they are. Insulating foam pipes are very easy to install (they have slots so they just slide on, seal with adhesive edges and are easy to cut) and will save you from the nightmare of frozen pipes.
Place covers on the air conditioner. If you have window air conditioners that you decide to leave installed during the winter, there is a simple and inexpensive solution. Air conditioner cover will prevent cold air from entering your home through them, especially when combined with weather stripping or sealing tape around the window.
Hang thermal curtains. If you have installed weather stripping and/or plastic film but your windows are still drafty, heavy thermal curtains can prevent drafts from entering a room and keep warm air away from cold windows, keeping everything toasty. Plus, they look nice and can hide all the plastic film.
Use attic stair insulation. If you have an attic that is accessed by a stairway or ladder, this is a huge weak point in your home's insulation as significant heat transfer can occur through this opening. An attic stair covering will close this weak spot and eliminate another place where you lose heat in the winter.
Put on a water heater blanket. In general, insulating your water heater is a good idea as it can save you a significant amount of money. electricity costs. But blanket with water heater becomes even more important in the winter because your water heater is likely located in a fairly cold area of ​​your home. Maintaining insulation will allow you to stay in hot water for less money.
