Add insulation to your attic
A few years ago I heard a good piece of advice, “If every house except yours has snow on the roof, then you don’t have enough insulation in your attic.” The concept is that all the warm air in your home is escaping through your roof due to poor insulation. If you do not have the proper amount of insulation in your attic, you will end up paying a good deal more to keep your house heated this winter.
Invest in insulated curtains
Thermal curtains, or thick insulated curtains, will keep heat from escaping through windows and are a great investment if you need to buy window treatments anyway. Insulated curtains have been shown to reduce about 25% of thermal energy loss. They can quickly pay for themselves from the money you will save on your energy bill.
Add weather stripping around door and window frames
A roll of foam weather stripping is a very cheap way to winter proof your home from drafts and lower your energy bill. Everywhere there is a gap between the door or window and its frame, you should apply weather stripping.
Caulk any gaps in window or door frames
If you can still feel a draft after applying weather stripping around the doors and windows, you may need to caulk any additional gaps located between the frames and the wall. You may even want to consider caulking around foundation walls or any other gaps you have in your exterior walls. A trick to see if your windows have a leak is to take a candle around the edges, if the flame flickers that means air is heading out of your home!
Place a rolled towel in front of all exterior doors
A very simple and free way to save energy this winter is to place a rolled up towel at the base of your doors. A towel can block out any drafts that come in through the bottom of the door, and it’s so easy to do. There are also products that can block these under-door drafts as well.
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