by JoAnn Powell

Created on: November 23, 2009

Winterproofing your house means that you try to keep as much cold air from entering your house as you possibly can, while conserving what heat is within. An opening as small as 1/8 of an inch can allow in as much cold air as enters when the door is open, so it is necessary to seal as many of the outside air leaks as possible.

Though it is easier to perform these tasks before cold weather sets in, you may only notice the problem when you actually feel the draft. Fixing the leak can be done at any time, and will always result in lower energy cost and higher savings for you.

1. Have the furnace inspected, and serviced if needed.

2. Inspect and seal all exterior doors. Replace worn weather stripping with foam backed self-adhesive weather stripping, or magnetized weather stripping used with vinyl covered steel doors. If there is a leak at the bottom of the door, use a screwdriver to raise the threshold plate and seal the leak.

3. Inspect and seal windows. Use flexible acrylic latex caulk applied with a caulk gun to force the caulking into the opening. Use a putty knife or your finger to smooth out the surface and even out the repair.

4. Inspect openings around water lines, gas lines, and vents. Seal these with expandable foam caulking made for openings larger than 1/4 inch.

5. Add extra insulation to the windows. Install clear plastic shrink wrap, sold in all hardware and department stores as a kit, to provide extra insulation over the glass surface. Apply double sided tape to all edges of the window, and stretch the plastic tightly across the window and attach to the tape. After all plastic is in place, use a hair dryer on high heat, moving it near the surface, until all wrinkles have been removed.

Even though my windows are double paned and insulated, I add the clear plastic as extra protection. If you remove it carefully at the end of the season you can re-use it again next year, allowing for even greater savings since you won't need to purchase it every year.

6. Close or block off registers in rooms you don't use. Remove the vent, add insulation above it, and then replace the vent. If there is not a tight seal at the door, place a rolled up towel or small rug at the base of the door to help seal it.

7. Check your furnace filter every two weeks and replace it if it becomes dirty. Dirty filters can block heat from moving effeciently through the ducts.

8. Close the fireplace damper. Much warm air is lost through an open fire place. It also allows cold air to enter. Keep the damper closed when not in use. You can also build a screen out of plywood to better seal the entire opening. Cut the plywood to fit snugly in the fireplace opening and attach it with flexible rope caulk. Paint it black and you'll hardly notice it's there.

9. Replace the batteries in smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors. Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless gas that is found in combustion fumes, such as with a furnace or car engine. Since the furnace will be in use much in the winter, having the carbon monoxide detector can prevent serious illness or even death if the furnace malfunctions.

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