Blizzard season is here! It’s that time of year when every week there’s a chance of the white stuff, and kids sit glued to the television on snowy mornings hoping to see that school is cancelled. (On the other hand, maybe they look it up online these days. Are we dating ourselves here?)
One thing many people notice at this time of year is that their homes are chilly even when the heat is turned up. It’s a common problem, especially in older homes, which can have a lot of drafts. It’s tempting to turn the heat up more, but you’ll pay for it—literally. As many of us have experienced, turning the heat up just a few degrees can mean raising the bill more than a few dollars.
That’s why we’ve put together the following list of ways you can make your home warmer—without adding to your gas or electric bill. Many of these are simple jobs you can tackle yourself in just a few minutes.
These tips are brought to you courtesy of the home maintenance professionals at Squeeky Clean Services, delivering Main Line and Philadelphia gutter cleaning, power washing, construction, and other services since 1986.
- Caulk the window frames. Tiny spaces between the window frame and the wall let in cold air. Solution: Fill the spaces! Caulking costs little and takes little time—but offers big savings.
- Invest in thick, roll-down curtains for nighttime. Take draft-proofing your windows to the next level! Purchase thick curtains you can roll up during the day and roll down at night, when single-pane glass windows leech warmth. If you don’t want to buy curtains, you can actually hang up old blankets and sheets to achieve the same results.
- Reverse the direction of your heating fan. Did you know that most heating fans have a small switch for reversing directions? In wintertime, switch the direction so that the fan moves clockwise, which pushes the warm air that rises to the ceiling back down to where you can appreciate it.
- Apply weather stripping to doorframes. Like windows, doors are behind many drafts. Seal the gaps around doors with this inexpensive product you can find in just about any home improvement store.
- Hang laundry out to dry. It sounds like a weird way of making the house warmer, but letting your clothes air dry actually increases the humidity in your home, which makes the whole place feel warmer. Plus, you’ll save on the energy it takes to use the dryer.
- Plug up unused chimneys. This is for people whose fireplaces never get lit. If your hearth sits cold all winter, consider investing in a chimney balloon, another relatively inexpensive product that will keep warm air from shooting up the flu.
- Put pipe foam underneath the doors. Keep drafts from sneaking underneath doors by putting this cheap product underneath. A simple solution that makes a real impact.
We wish you warmer weather soon! In the meantime, be sure to take advantages of these easy ways to keep the house toasty. Remember: SCS is always around to provide A+ rated services for the home!
