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Keep Out the Cold for Comfort and Lower Utility Bills

You could spend another winter feeling chilly inside your home, teeth chattering under a fuzzy fleece blanket. A better option? Spend a little time and money now to fix the things that actually cause your house to feel like the inside of a refrigerator.

Things like drafty windows and doors, exposed exterior crawl space vents or chimneys seem to just invite cold air to seep into your living room, disrupting your Netflix marathon or family game night.

Performing a few keep-the-cold-out tasks will keep you much more comfortable as you wait out the long winter. But that’s not the only benefit. According to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), you’re also likely to save a little money because your home will become more energy efficient.

Hang Thermal Curtains

Windows are notorious for allowing cold drafts to enter your home. That’s because glass doesn’t provide much insulation, and window frames and seals tend to wear out over time, letting in cold air.

If new windows aren’t in your budget, try thermal curtains! Unlike standard curtains, thermal curtains contain a thin layer of acrylic foam. This acts as the insulation your windows are missing, keeping you nice and toasty  — or at least toastier than you would be otherwise.

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Place Shrink-to-Fit Plastic Over Drafty Windows

Saran Wrap for your windows? Yes! Along with the thermal curtains, placing plastic shrink-wrap over your windows can help keep cold air from trickling into your home.

To find out if this will help, the DOE recommends closing the window in question over a piece of paper. Then check to see if the paper “moves back and forth.” If it does, you may have a leak. But don’t worry, you won’t need to grab a roll of plastic wrap from your kitchen and wing it — a 3M Window Insulator Kit will do the trick. The kits are pretty simple to use, too, especially if you own a hair dryer.

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