With the colder months approaching, it is time to weatherproof your home. Here are 6 ways to keep your house temperature high and your heating bill low.
- Weatherproof your doors. This will help prevent any unnecessary cold from entering your house. This tutorial from DIY Network will walk you through the steps in a process that won’t take you all day!
- Purchase foam weather stripping. This is something that is relatively easy to install, and it will prevent heat gaps and water from entering your home. Installation is easy! Cut the stripping to the appropriate length, press the sticky side down, and peel off the plastic liner. The lining should be snug.
- Make sure your thermostat works properly. While this seems like an obvious thing to do, sometimes there can be older models that don’t perform how they should. Replace your older model with one that can be easily programmed.
- Inspect your chimney. While a warm fire is a good sign of the season, make sure you check for any obstructions before you decide to start up your fire. Birds’ nests and leaves could be a problem. Try placing a screen on the top of your chimney after inspection to make sure any future problems won’t occur again.
- Cover and protect your Central Air unit. Snow and ice could potentially damage your unit, so cover it to protect it from the elements.
- Prepare an emergency kit just in case. You never know what can happen in the winter, and you want to be prepared for anything. Prepare a kit full of flashlights, candles, matches, two or three blankets, a battery-powered radio, and enough bottled water and nonperishable food for seven days. Even the sturdiest and most weatherproofed home may not be able to keep you from the cold in an emergency. {Bonus tip: Emergency kits can make very practical gifts for young couples and older adults.}