Tips for Winterizing Your Home
Insulating switchboard plates. Every light switch is an open whole in the wall. Buy an insulating pad to put under the light switch cover. This pad will help keep out the cold drafts that come through. Pads can be purchased for only $1-2. Depending on how many light switches, or electrical outlets, you have in your home, the amount needed will vary. Any way you look at it, though, this is a cheap and easy way to keep out drafts.
Insulating caulk strips. A very easy way to winterize your home is found in caulk stripping. What is nice about caulk strips is the fact that they are easy to break apart. You just tear off the amount you need to surround your windows and door moldings. You will be surprised with the amount of drafts this simple procedure eliminates. Every so often, simply go and secure the caulk. Sometimes it dries up a bit.
Insulating tape. Another method of eliminating drafts is to use insulating clear tape (instead of caulk) around your window and door moldings. This is easily cuttable with scissors.
Plastic sheets. Over the years, manufacturers have been coming out with all sizes, shapes, and types of plastic sheet weatherizing. This form of winterizing your home can be done in a variety of ways.
· You can buy custom-sized sheets and simply cut off unwanted portions.
· You can blow dry the plastic for a tighter fit, on some varieties.
· Or, you can simply buy a large roll of plastic sheeting. There is nothing fancy with this choice. The cost is less than the custom-sized varieties, also. The procedure involves more measuring and cutting, but can save money in the long run. If you go for the large plastic sheeting roll, you will need to buy tape. I have found this option keeps out more drafts than other “fancier” choices. Once I cut the plastic to window size, I fold over an edge of 1″ twice. Then, I staple this edge. This allows me to have a nice extra protection against drafts.
· Put plastic sheeting even over windows covered with blinds. Be sure to leave out the blind handle, though.
Hot water heater blanket/cover. Usually this is form-fitted with insulating material. This is a great way to lower your heating bills and to winterize your home. By having extra insulation, less energy will be needed to heat the water.
Pipe wrapping. If you have pipes exposed to the elements, as in an above-ground home, wrap your pipes. This will help prevent any freezing possibilities. It also is another way to save on energy costs.
Replace screen windows with storm windows. This is common sense, but needs to be said. Not all homes have this, though. It might be considered outdated, but I know older homes still need to have this winterizing procedure done.
Keep your blinds or drapes closed. Surprisingly enough, this simple procedure keeps out a lot of cold drafts. If you do not want to do this for the majority of the day, just a few hours of daylight is better than none.
Replace your lightweight kitchen curtains with heavier material. The heavier material will take care of many cold drafts that lighter weight fabric could not. This form of winterizing your home can be as simple as putting a thick towel over the curtain rod.
This article provides hints for winterizing your home to make the transition into colder weather easier on both you and your home. There are probably other tips that are not covered here, but escape my mind for the time being. Check around. Keep warm!
