Feeling a Winter Chill INSIDE Your Home? You May Need to Seal the “Envelope”

Imagine this: You feel a winter chill and set the thermostat to stay nice and toasty. You then curl up on the couch and turn on the TV to enjoy a movie.  But even with the heater cranked up, the room doesn’t seem to get any warmer.  You reach for a throw blanket, but still feel cold; it’s just not comfortable and now you can’t even concentrate on the movie because you’re worried about why your home’s so cold and how this will affect your electric bill.  If you’re like most homeowners, you probably don’t have to imagine any of this. It’s a reality, every fall and winter, like clockwork.

If you feel a draft, it’s because cold air is leaking inside your home and you need to seal your home’s ‘envelope.’ The envelope is the physical barrier that protects the inside, climate-controlled environment from outside weather.  To seal the envelope, go outside, clean any cracks and gaps around windows and door frames, and cover them with a bead of acrylic or polyurethane caulk.

Next, install weatherstripping to seal any gaps in exterior doors. Here’s a rule of thumb: If, during the day, you see sunshine passing through the side of the door, you need to install weatherstripping or replace old weatherstripping that has failed.

The same rule applies for under your doors. If you see daylight passing through there, you’ve got a draft, and you can block it with a door sweep or a draft dodger.

A door sweep, such as The Duck Brand’s Triple Draft Seal, simply slides under the door — no tools required. It has three key parts: an inner seal to maintain room temperature, an outer seal to black drafts, and fins on the bottom to keep out water.  A draft dodger is a homemade item you can rest against the door to keep out drafts. You just need fabric, filling (like uncooked rice) and basic sewing skills.

If you don’t want to go the DIY route or to constantly reset your draft dodger when you’re indoors, a more convenient option is The Duck Brand’s Double Draft Door Seal, which has foam inserts you can easily cut to size, cover with fabric and strap into place.

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Photo Credit:  Andrey_Popov / Shutterstock.com