Always use your local home inspection team to look over your windows and doors. Additionally, conducting a full home inspection is a great way to ensure that you will be set for the winter months. A lot of issues could be solved with regards to the sealing of your windows and doors and keeping the home properly insulated. Twin State inspections will conduct a quality home inspection in the Twin State areas of VT and NH.
1. Plastic window treatments: Both old and new windows may benefit from the added protection of plastic window treatments. This DIY insulation is effective in providing a seal around the perimeter of your window to keep warm air in and cold air out. Depending on the size of your windows, this easy seasonal task may take just a few minutes.
Keep Cold Air Out and Warm Air In with Plastic Windows
6. Dress warmly: This can be tough, we know. But consider keeping a sweater and sweatpants handy, so you can keep your place a little cooler and spend less on heating overall. Strategically place flannel, fleece, and other warm materials around the home in the form of blankets, sheets, cushions, slippers, or other accessories. You can use these comfort items year after year to keep you bundled and cozy in the colder months.
As the temperatures drop, heating systems turn on, days get shorter, and lights stay on longer. These seasonal changes can increase your energy bills. But you can take steps to stay warm and comfortable while keeping those bills low.
Reducing the draft in your space prevents cold air from coming in, and it is key to saving money on your power bills and keeping your family comfortable throughout every season of the year. Before you spend thousands to replace your windows, here are a few simple and easy ways you can stop cold drafts in your home this winter and save money on your heating bill this winter.
Sealants like caulk and silicone sealant are your first line of defense against drafty windows and doors. If your windows frame or doors are dry, cracked, or show other wear and tear, you should update them by being sure to replace the caulking at least once a year. If there are cracks, tears, or other damage to windows and doors that have not already been addressed with caulk, you should be sure to apply a liberal layer to prevent warm air from escaping.
Perhaps the simplest and cheapest way to prevent drafts in your home is to close your blinds and lock your windows. Blinds help insulate your home, ensuring that warm air cannot escape and cold air cannot easily get in. Thus, it is important to keep them closed, especially during the night, to eliminate drafts in your home.
Further, unlocked windows, even if they are closed, can leave gaps that allow cold air to enter and hot air to exit. If your house is beginning to feel cold despite the warm air coming out of your vents, you should take a look at all of your windows and ensure that they are not just closed, but locked.
Insulating your windows using plastic film is an excellent way to prevent heat loss around areas where cold air tends to leak in. The film creates a barrier between the window and the inside of the house, sealing gaps and preventing air leakage.
Applying window insulation film is easy and affordable, this particular window treatment does not require the help of a professional in most cases. You can purchase window insulation kits to create your own insulated windows at any department store or hardware store. Most of them come with double-sided tape for mounting, ensuring that you can easily apply the product at the beginning of the season and remove it when needed.
Fireplaces are usually a place we associate with warmth, comfort, and relaxation away from the snow and chills outdoors, so it can be frustrating to imagine that our fireplace might actually be a source of the drafts that result in our home feeling far too cold in the winter. Unfortunately, this is the reality of the situation. While fireplaces help keep us warm when lit, they can actually be a source of drafts when they are not in use. Cold air can enter your home through the fireplace and chimney, while hot air can just as easily exit.
Next, you should ensure that the glass doors to your fireplace are closed, which will help keep any cold air trapped behind them and thus stop it from entering your home. If you do not already have glass doors installed in your fireplace, this could also contribute to the draft; it might be a good idea to call a professional to install glass doors if you find that your fireplace is a primary source of heat loss in our home. While some fireplaces cannot have glass doors added to them thanks to their design or safety considerations, most modern fireplaces come with them installed or can have them added.
At Silicone Depot, we offer silicone sealant and sealing/caulking accessories for all of your home and for construction projects. As we enter the coldest part of the winter season, it becomes increasingly important to apply silicone sealant to help keep your home warm and your power bills low. Check out our catalog and purchase the perfect silicone sealant for your home repairs today!
Window film looks like saran wrap and does a great job at insulating your windows during the colder months. After placing window film on your windows, heat it with a blow-dryer to shrink it and seal out drafts.
Your humidistat is set too high if excessive moisture collects on windows and other cold surfaces. Excess humidity for a prolonged time can damage walls especially when outdoor air temperatures are very low. Excess moisture condenses on window glass because the glass is cold. Other sources of excess moisture besides overuse of a humidifier may be long showers, running water for other uses, boiling or steaming in cooking, plants, and drying clothes indoors. A tight, energy efficient house holds more moisture inside; you may need to run a kitchen or bath ventilating fan sometimes, or open a window briefly. Storm windows and caulking around windows keep the interior glass warmer and reduce condensation of moisture there.
Most people look to their windows for the source of the draft. Old windows are often responsible during the winter. Many old windows are single paned or have cracked, rotting seals that allow cold air to penetrate the walls. Replacing your windows with energy efficient, professional grade windows from Lakeside Renovation & Design is your best option here. This can significantly reduce the cold drafts you feel while at home.
In areas where storms are common, many people will use plexiglass to protect their windows from high winds. They can also be used to insulate windows without taking away the ability to open and close them.
If you installed a basic window package, it probably came without the glazing effect. When you glaze your windows, you seal any air gaps between the two panes of glass to add an extra layer of insulation. It significantly reduces air transfer, helping your utility bills and minimizing noise from the outside.
Here in the Northeast, the seasons and temperatures change drastically throughout the year, so a space that is comfortable in summer can be dangerously cold in winter. However, with the right construction and insulation, a sunroom can be comfortable to relax in throughout the year.
Warming your sunroom in the winter is a two-step process. First, you have to heat the space, and second, you must insulate the exterior walls, so the heat does not escape. Not only is insulation great for keeping your sunroom warm, but a properly insulated sunroom can also help cut down on your heating costs. To accomplish this, here are some of the best ways you can keep your sunroom warm:
Summer is the perfect time to enjoy your sunroom with its beautiful big windows and all-day sun exposure. After all, the idea of a sunroom is to take advantage of the good summer weather and to enjoy the outdoors without rain or bugs.
One problem that comes with sunny weather, though, is summer heat. Sitting behind those big windows in your sunroom is comfortable until the solar gain makes the room unbearably hot. That heat can even invade your house and force your air-conditioning to run more than usual.
The energy efficiency of your house is affected by the quality of the insulation in your walls and the size and efficiency of the windows. Your sunroom is no different. If it was built without insulation, especially if it was originally constructed as an open porch for summer use, your sunroom will not maintain a comfortable temperature very easily.
The glass in your windows can present an insulating challenge. If your windows are old, they may only contain one pane of glass with no insulating factor. However, upgrading the windows could have a big impact on the energy efficiency of your sunroom. New windows can be made with multiple panes of glass that contain clear insulating material like gas to block heat transfer.
For help with all your sunroom replacement window needs, contact Garrety Glass. Our professional staff can help you select the right windows for the job and get the precise measurements. If you like, we can even install the windows for you to ensure the best fit and insulating value for your sunroom.
A portable, electric space heater offers a straightforward solution to heating your garage. Space heaters are readily available, easy to move around and come in a range of sizes to meet any budget. Although a portable space heater may not be enough to heat your entire garage, it can support another heat source on a bitterly cold day or warm up a specific area.
Many garage doors are thin metal, which does nothing to keep warm air inside the garage and cold air out. Your garage door can be a major source of heat loss in the winter. If your garage door is not well-insulated, it can also defeat the purpose of your other heating efforts.
Depending on the condition of your garage door, your best option may be to replace your garage door with a new, insulated one. Replacing an old, uninsulated garage door with a new door is a good investment. It will help you keep heat in your garage all winter long, reduce cooling costs in the summer and act as an additional attractive design element to your home. Overall, a well-insulated garage built with quality materials will save you money in the long run. 2ff7e9595c
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