Whether it's blazing outside or freezing,
you'll save electricity and money if you properly insulate and weatherproof
your doors, windows and venting systems. In addition to the money
savings, you'll more than likely be a lot more comfortable, whether
you live in Arizona or Maine during the worst that any season has
to offer you.
To properly weatherproof your home,
all you need is a little time and money spent on caulk, weather
stripping, wood filler or insulation foam. Check the prices at your
local hardware store on these items and you'll be amazed at how
economical they are compared to allowing that heating or air conditioning
to be swept right out of your home.
Here are a few tips on how and where
to use the most common types of weather proofing products out there:
Caulking
Use caulk to seal around outside vents, including the one that hooks
to your dryer hose. Fill any cracks around outside vents that are
less than ½ inch in width. You should also caulk around window
trim and edgings to ensure a tight seal against drafts.
Insulation Foam
Use this spray foam to fill spaces between baseboards and walls,
as well as in screened patios and anywhere you feel a draft seeping
in rooms from the area where walls meet floors. You can also use
insulating foam to fill holes for television and telephone cables,
as well as outside faucets.
Weather Stripping
Every doorway that leads outside, as well as every window in your
house should be sealed with weather stripping. A package usually
costs around $3 and comes in a variety of widths, from ¼
inch to ¾ inch or more. The underside of window sashes should
have a strip, as well as the outside edges of screen doors and sliding
glass doors. For doors that lead to a utility room or a garage,
make sure your threshold is weatherproofed with either weather stripping
or with caulk, or with a rubber stop or gasket that can be placed
against the base.
Rubber Gasket Strips
Rubber gasket strips are made for the bottom and tops of garage
doors, which will help keep out large drafts that find their way
inside your home.
Clear Plastic Sheeting
Interior sheeting kits are becoming more and more popular in cold
areas of the country. This plastic sheeting, which looks like Saran
Wrap, comes in a roll that you spread over your window and then
attach with double sided sticky tape and then warm with a blow dryer.
Weatherproofing your home doesn't
have to be expensive, but it does need to be done if you want to
save money, electricity and be comfortable no matter what Mother
Nature throws at you.
