Colder weather is moving in and snow will be here before we know it. With the cold comes drafts in your home and rising heat costs. Use these tips to keep your house warm, without raising your heating bill.
1. Let the sun in during the day, but close your curtains when it gets dark out. Curtains will add an extra layer of insulation against the chill.
2. Add an insulated liner when it gets really cold outside.
3. Add vinyl sheets to your windows. Paint your window sill with a magnetic paint and line a vinyl sheet with magnetic tape. This will provide extra insulation that you can quickly put up every winter and take down in the summer and it won't block out the sun.
4. Move your bed away from the window. It's going to be colder closer to the window so avoid the draft at bedtime by moving further away.
5. Run your ceiling fan clockwise to pull the room air up and push warm air down.
6. Use your oven. Cook as many meals as possible in your oven.
7. And leave your oven door open when you're done cooking. This will heat up your kitchen while your oven is cooling down.
8. Eat spicy meals. Spicy food will warm you up!
9. Put a hot water bottle underneath your blankets.
10. Layer rugs. Layered rugs will prevent heat loss through the floor and will keep your feet warm.
11. Choose a dark rug. It will soak up heat from the sun during the day.
12. Turn on a humidifier. Though it won't actually change the temperature of a room, it will make the air feel warmer. And it will also protect your skin and sinuses from the dry heat.
13. Install a return air pathway register if one room is hotter than the others.
14. Make a removable door draft stopper. Use two pool noodles, fabric, and velcro command strips to stop drafts from coming in from under the door. Or, if you're not crafty you could always buy one.
15. Close a dollar bill in your front door. You can use this trick to test for drafts. Close the door with the dollar bill in it, if you can pull the dollar bill out easily, it's time to reseal your doorway.
16. Line your windows with rope caulk. This will help better insulate your home. You could also use caulking cord.
17. Check your light switches, sockets and wiring holes for drafts. Light and hold an incense stick near light switches, electrical sockets, and wiring holes to check for air leaks. If the smoke drifts into the source, you need socket seals or weatherstrips.
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