Weatherproofing your home for the winter

Weatherproofing your home does not have to be a lot of work.  It will help keep the elements out of your house and ensure that you are comfortable inside. Here are some tips for weatherproofing your house.

Insulate external pipes

The drop in temperature during the winter months can cause the water spigots and hose connections on the outside of your house to freeze and crack. To prevent this, you should insulate the exposed pipes. Leaking pipes can also cause moisture buildup that can lead to mold and mildew.

Insulate the outlets

The electrical socket in your wall leads to a lot of energy loss. You should insulate the outlet to prevent heat from escaping from your rooms. This can be done with insulating foam that you can find in your local hardware store.

Insulate the water heater

The water heater is another appliance in the house that needs to be insulated to stop energy loss. You can do this by buying a water heater insulation blanket that you can find at your local hardware store. This will stop a lot of the heat from escaping from the sides of the water heater. You need to measure the circumference of the heater and make sure you take into account the thickness of the blanket.

Use draft stoppers for your doors

Doors allow a lot of heat to escape the house through the gaps in the frame. One way to stop this is to use door draft stoppers that you can find in your local hardware store. They can be fixed to the bottom of the door. In addition to stopping heat from escaping, they also keep pollen and dirt out of the house during the spring.

Use your ceiling fan wisely

While the ceiling fan is useful in the summer to pull cool air upwards, it can be used in the winter to circulate warm air towards you. You can reverse the direction that the fan spins to make it push warmer air downwards and into the room. This will keep energy costs down as you will be able to better utilize your heating.

Install storm windows

Storm windows will keep the heat inside your house and provide better insulation. They also prevent ice and snow from accumulating on your window sills. You can also install storm doors for more effective insulation.

With these tips, you should be able to save a lot of money on energy costs and protect your home from damage.