You aren’t alone if you haven’t yet prepared your home for winter. Americans have had a rough and tumble 2021, with the pandemic, the economy heading south, and the attending chaos of both.
Whatever the reason for putting off weatherproofing the windows in your home, it’s never too late in the season to get it done.
Weatherproofing your windows is essential for keeping your home both comfy and energy efficient over the next winter months. But, while you burrow in your plush armchair, buried in blankets, attempting to escape the chilly draft creeping into your home, you may be wondering where to begin.
Weatherproofing requires more than plastic sheets
When you’re ready to keep the cold air out and the warm air in, you can tackle the first step of weatherproofing without too much hassle.
Begin by cleaning your windows, both inside and out. Not a fun job, but it’s part of the process.
While you’re cleaning them, check every window to ensure the caulking is in good condition. If not, remove the old and apply new caulking.
The U.S. Department of Energy offers handy advice on how to do this. You’ll find it online at energy.gov. Scroll down the page and click on “Caulking.”
Wooden frames or broken panes that require replacing may need to wait until spring as this can be a bigger job.
Weatherproofing your windows can cut your annual energy costs by as much as 25 percent and reduce your annual energy consumption by 10-25 percent. The process of weatherproofing windows may be completed in a matter of minutes by utilizing tools that are simple to install. This will reduce the amount of air that can escape through the windows.
Gather your supplies
After you have cleaned the windows in your home, it is time to take them to the next level of energy efficiency by installing weather stripping and window insulation film. This will help your home stay warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer.
In the event that you do not already possess these products, you may locate them at huge stores that specialize in home renovation as well as at hardware stores.
Look for weather stripping that adheres to itself, since this will save you a significant amount of time and effort. Always make sure to follow the instructions on the product’s packaging, and check out the fantastic weather-stripping information on Lowe’s website. It provides advice on how to select the most appropriate kind of weather stripping for your windows and provides walkthroughs on how to apply it to various kinds of windows.
When this protection has been applied to all of your windows, it is time to apply the window insulating film. This is done in a direct manner to the windows. Once more, before making a purchase, check with the hardware or home improvement store in your area.
If you find yourself overwhelmed by the options, I recommend looking at the suggestions on BobVila.com as well as the customer reviews on Amazon.com.
At energystar.gov, you’ll be able to access an application tutorial.
The process of weatherproofing your windows may sound like it will take the better part of a weekend, but in reality, it is a really simple task that can be completed in as little as an hour or two, depending on the number of windows in your house.
The best part is that once you’re done, you can rest assured that your house will continue to be toasty and cozy for the rest of the winter.
