Winterize Your Home To Save Green
Now that the weather is turning cooler, the leaves are changing colors, and our wardrobes are going from light and breezy to thick and layered, it is an ideal time to weatherize or winterize our homes to conserve energy, save money, and make ourselves more comfortable over the long winter months ahead.
Most of our heating and air conditioning energy escapes through gaps and cracks in the home that can easily and inexpensively be filled with ordinary caulk. Using a good all-purpose window caulk and caulk gun carefully apply a thin bead to fill gaps in the existing caulk, where it has started to dry out, crack, and fall away. If the caulk in your home has already deteriorated too badly, you may even need to scrape out all the old caulk and then replace it with a nice fresh bead that seals the seams to protect from leaks.
If you don’t have double panes of glass in the windows but you cannot afford to upgrade to a higher quality of insulated window, there is an inexpensive alternative. Home improvement stores sell rolls or sheets of special plastic that resembles the cling wrap used in the kitchen. Using self-adhesive strips you apply it to the frame around the window and then tighten the seal by blowing on it with an ordinary hair dryer. If the plastic is applied correctly it creates a wrinkle-free surface that is almost invisible without closer inspection, and covering windows this way is cheap and takes only a few minutes but can reduce the amount spent on heating bills by a considerable amount. When warm weather arrives you simply peel the plastic off and throw it away.
Last but not least, lower the thermostat in winter when you’re not home or when you can be comfortable wearing extra layers indoors. Dropping the temperature to 58 or 59 degrees can lower heating bills dramatically, leaving you with more money to apply toward your credit union mortgage and home equity.
