How To Winterize A Home (By Arlene)

It isn’t too late yet to winterize your home.  The temperatures are still cold enough to profit from the savings and even, just in making your home warmer or more comfortable.   One of the simplest things to do is to stop the drafts coming in from the bottom of the doors.  I don’t do anything fancy, I just roll up a big, thick towel and on some doors I added a door sweep.  Both work fine. In the beginning of November I put in the storm doors and the storm windows.  Even putting plastic up helps a lot on drafty older windows.  Now is a good time to seal up any cracks, around corners, the frames, around the chimney, or where pipes and wires exist along with looking for cracks on the foundation.  Keep the cold air out.

It is a good idea to have the furnace cleaned and change the furnace filter plus,  consider a new furnace if the one now is not energy efficient.  The savings will pay for itself in no time flat and will improve the value of your home as well. 

Low-income households can qualify for many different government and state weatherization programs. 

Adding more insulation around window frames, walls, attics, pipes and even the water heater can bring even greater savings. A plumber can really be of help in those things. They are familiar with pipes and water heaters.

 Running the ceiling fan in reverse can make a room much warmer, I do this in my kitchen and dining room and it helps in circulating the hot air downwards. 

Doing such simple things can make the home feel warmer and cost less to heat.  It is never too late to winterize instead of letting your money simply, go out the window.