It’s cold and I do not like it one bit. I’m a warm weather kind of person so this time of year makes me want to curl up in my blanket and hide until Spring. Since that’s not always possible the least I can do is make my home as warm and cozy as possible, without increasing my electric bill.
It’s time to break out the plastic for the windows. This is not my favorite thing to do because we always get a few beautiful, warm days when I would love to throw open the windows to air out the house but because of the plastic, I can’t.
Still, if you have drafty windows, plastic is the way to go. You can buy kits with thin plastic and double sided tape, just cut, stick and shrink to fit with a hair dryer. That’s everyone’s favorite part. In addition to the plastic, hang heavy curtains on the windows. This way you can leave the blinds open when you put up the plastic and be able to benefit from the sun shining in during the day but still be able to maintain some privacy at night and add even more insulation to the windows. In the spring and summer I don’t have curtains, just the blinds, but in the winter I find they help.
Also check the weather-stripping around your doors. My doors are poorly seated so until I find out how to fix them, or talk someone into doing it for me, I have to use lots of weather stripping. This usually needs to be replaced every year, unless you buy really expensive weather-stripping. Also you can buy the vinyl sweeps to attach to the bottom of your door to stop drafts there.
Making a draft stopper for your door is quick and easy. Just sew together a tube the length of the door width, fill it with sand or other material, stitch it closed and put in front of the door.
Another place to watch for heat escaping is your fireplace. Make sure the flue is closed when you are not using it. A lot of warm air can escape up the chimney so when it’s not in use make sure you seal it off as best you can to prevent heat loss.
Just a few things to help keep your home warm and comfy now that old man winter is on his way.