Tips to weatherize your home for winter
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- Seal it up: If you can see light coming through the seal of your doors, then you need to add weather stripping to close the cracks. This is simple and cheap to do – usually less than $20 a door. Walk by windows and doors with a lit stick of incense. Drafts will pull the smoke that direction, showing you the drafts.
- Apply film to windows: Window installation kits found at hardware stores cost less than $10. Apply the film to your windows with a hair dryer.
- Install a programmable thermostat: Setting a programmable thermostat at 65 degrees for eight hours a day -- for example, while you’re at work -- can save 10 percent on your energy bills, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.
- Check your air filters on your heating unit each month: A clogged filter restricts airflow, forcing the unit to work harder.
- Insulate your pipes: Insulate vulnerable pipes to avoid damage from freezing temperatures. Insulate pipes located outside and on areas where you have plumbing on the exterior walls.
- Replace your HVAC unit: If your furnace has been cranking out the heat for more than 10 years, you might want to consider investing in a new, more efficient heating system. In the long run, high efficiency models will reduce bills and cut down those initial costs for a new system.
- Adding more insulation: If you can see 2-by-4s in the attic, you need more insulation. The coldest climates may need up to 19 inches of insulation; warmer climates can get by with 15 inches. Check there, ceilings, exterior and basement walls, floors and crawl spaces.
- Replace or restore your windows: If your windows are older and drafty, it’s a great time to either find a window specialist to restore them or buy new, energy efficient models.
- Federal tax credits available: Now through the end of 2010, homeowners who add qualifying products such as HVAC units, insulation and windows to their homes can receive a tax credit of up to 30 percent the cost of materials with a maximum credit of $1,500. Check products carefully because not all qualify.