Keep Insulated this Winter

Did you put off insulating your home? And now Jack Frost is nipping at your nose?  You can improve the efficiency of your pad by remedying this situation, and save up to $600 a year in energy costs.

Of course, you can always call in a pro to get your insulation pumped up. Most will cost an average of around $1,350 to do it for you. If you don’t have that kind of cash, you may want to try to boost your home’s insulation yourself.  Here are some inexpensive, “it isn’t too late” things you can do to insulate your home right now:

Cover any air leaks with weatherproofing.

Use weatherproofing strips and caulking to seal any air leaks in your doors and windows. Window insulation kits are easily available, usually cost under $20, and can be installed in a matter of minutes.

Add thick curtains to your windows.

Options such as Thermaliner blackout curtains will help contain the heat in your home. If you don’t want to spring for all-new curtains, you can add a cheap liner to your existing curtains, such as fleece or even a PVC shower curtain. Keep the curtains open during daylight hours to let the sunlight in and add natural heat to your home, but when the sun sets, draw the curtains to contain the warmth.

Fix drafty doors with a door snake.

You can use common household items to create a “door snake” that sits at the bottom of your door and blocks the cold air from entering. Door snakes can be crafted out of materials such as old socks, pillow stuffing, and popcorn kernels.

Plug your chimney when not in use.

If your fireplace flue doesn’t seal properly, you could be losing a lot of heat through your chimney. One study found household heating bills were up to 30 percent higher in such cases. Plug the hole with a “chimney balloon”—a balloon covered in laminate that can be inflated once it is inside the chimney to provide an effective seal. Chimney Balloons can be purchased for $40 to $50, or you can make your own out of household items such as cardboard and bubble wrap.  Just remember to take the balloon out before you plan to light a fire!

Seal your attic air leaks.

In most homes, a lot of your heat will escape into the attic, where it’s not doing you any good. While insulating your attic space with foam can be an effective way to lower heating costs, you can use a simple reflective foil material as a cost-effective alternative. By stapling the foil sheets to your attic roof rafters, you can reflect the heat that hits the rafters back down into your home’s living space.

—
Photo Credit: Cranach / Shutterstock.com