Tips to Winterize Your Home

When it comes time for winter, many of us are great at preparing the lawn and blocking some of the drafts from coming in, but there is a little more that you can do to not only save energy, but save some much needed cash as well. Many of these things are simple tricks to block the cold air and prevent the heat from escaping from your home. There are several that most of us don't do, however. By following all, or even just some, of these ideas, you can be much more comfortable in your home all winter long.

Clean Your Fireplace and Heater

Many of us neglect our heaters and fireplaces until we have to clean them. This can be a deadly mistake. There are several different chemicals that get trapped in your heater and fireplace that can cause harm to your family and pets. You may even find that the winter congestion that you get every year might not be as bad this year if you clean everything out of your home heating systems. This can be as simple as burning a creosote log or two, or just changing your air filter in your heater. If you do have a fireplace, you will want to inspect it for build up, cracks, and just proper ventilation and performance. Be sure to look at everything. If you do notice a lot of build up, try a creosote log. If that does not clear it all, you can buy a cleaning kit or hire a Chimney Sweep to take out all of the soot. You also want to make sure that your flue is in working order and that there are no cracks or leaks to your fireplace. A leak can work both ways. It can not only let the heat escape, but it can let the cold air in. You can easily seal these yourself with some fireplace sealant from Lowe's or your local hardware store. As for your heater, you will want to inspect not only the heating unit, but all of the ducting as well. Just like a fireplace, if you have a leak in your ducts, you could be heating the outdoors while the cold comes into your home. You will want to check the seals around all of the grates and make sure all of the joints are air tight. You do not need to turn the heater on to check this. You can use any type of blower or even the vacuum cleaner to inject air into the ducting to check for leaks. One other thing that you may want to do for the winter is connect your clothes dryer to the heater ducting. You will want this to be a quick disconnect so that you can disconnect it for the summer. You will also want a very good lint filter on your dryer exhaust and remember to clean that at least weekly to prevent fires.

Seal All Drafts

One of the most important things that you can do is to seal any and all drafts. You can find these fairly easy. The most common areas are around doors and windows. You want to make sure that all of these leading to the outside are completely sealed. This means you may want to add an attachment to the bottom of your door to keep the outside air out. Re-caulking all of your door jambs and windows may be a good idea. The caulking may become weathered and old. To make sure it is at its very best, you should just reapply it. Attic and basement doors are big offenders when it comes to leaks. You want to make sure that these are completely sealed off. If you do not plan on getting into either of them for the winter, you can cover the door completely with a blanket or other type of sealant and use duct tape to seal it off. You will be able to find any drafts all year around. If it is summer time, feel around for warm air pockets and follow those to where they started. One other way to check to for a draft is to hold a lit candle a few inches from a door jamb or window sill and move it all the way around the door or window. If the flame is blown out or quivers, you know where your leak is. Make sure you seal all of these leaks. They can be quite costly and frustrating.

Seal Your Windows

There are several different seals out there that you can get for your windows. There are several windows out there that do not need a separate cover over them to winterize them. Many storm windows or double paned windows will be fine. If you do have double paned windows, you can also stuff some old clothes, rags, or insulation into them if you do not mind losing the use of that window for the winter time. If you do not have double paned or storm windows, you will want to get a window sealant to place over the window. To install these, you will glue or tape them along the window sill and then use a hair dryer once the glue has dried. This will form fit the film to your window and allow you to still see through it. It makes it look better, last longer, and work better. There are several of these on the market and all of them work just as well as the other. Whether you use a window seal or not, you will wan to use a weather stripping where the window opens. You can put this stripping right along the joint. Just peel the tape off of the stripping and stuff it into the gap between the two windows. You will want to ensure that you can reach the stripping with your fingers or a pair of needle nose pliers so that you can take it off when the summer comes again. You want to use weather stripping for this instead of caulking because it is easier to remove when you want to open the windows once more.

Check Your Insulation

As the year winds down, the insulation in your home can become worn out as well. You will want to go to your attic or crawlspace and check on your insulation. If it is below the cross beams, add some more. You wan to look at the insulation as well. If you have ever seen new insulation, you should be able to tell if yours is in good shape or not. If it looks flat, discolored, or just not as good as the stuff in the store, you will want to add another layer or replace all of it. You can still use your old insulation if you want to and just add another layer on top of it. This can save you a little money and make the job much easier. If the old stuff really looks bad, you may be better off just ditching it and reinstalling all of the insulation.

Install a Programmable Thermostat

There are many different thermostats on the market now and several of them are quite affordable. By using a programmable thermostat, you can ensure that your home stays at a very comfortable temperature. These are also a lot more accurate than a lot of the older "coil" type thermostats. By using a programmable one, you can easily change the temperature while you are away in the daytime. There are even some on the market that will work with your cell phone, or can have set temperatures at set times of the day. This can really save you money and energy.

There are a lot of things that you can do to save money and energy in your home over the winter months. Many of these ideas can even carry over into the summer time as well. By looking over your home and ensuring that it is sealed against the elements, you can do a lot for the environment and your wallet.