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Cold weather can often make you aware of how well (or not) insulated your home is. But cranking up your thermostat is not always the most affordable solution to deal with air drafts, especially with home heating costs being especially high this winter. Fortunately, we’ve found eight different ways to make your house warmer and less drafty that are relatively easy and inexpensive to DIY.
1. Make Use Of Draft Stoppers and Weather Stripping
Windows and doors are among the biggest culprits of drafty homes. AÂ simple way to help cut down on the cold air that passes through gaps underneath and around their construction is to use a combination of draft stoppers and weather stripping.
For windows, this easy-to-use weather-stripping tape has received rave reviews from Amazon shoppers. Luckily, because of its transparent construction, it won’t distract from your home’s style.
For underneath doors, you can opt for a a snake-style fabric draft stopper, like this $25 one that’s weighted down with glass beads to ensure it stays in place. You can also opt for an adhesive and even more affordable rubber weather-stripping option that sticks to the bottom of the door. Either way, the best door draft stopper for your home is one that works best for your needs.
2. Â Re-Caulk Your Windows
Don’t underestimate the power of a $4 bottle of caulk. Over time, tiny cracks around your windows can allow cold air to seep in, so applying a fresh layer of caulk to interior windows to fill in those spots will help keep drafts away.
3. Completely (But Temporarily) Seal Windows
You can also take your window insulation a step further by temporarily sealing the whole thing with a clear plastic film. Many kits are less than $20 and simple to install. You just have to cut the plastic to your window’s size and apply it using double-sided tape. (Some brands also call for using hair dryer to shrink wrap the plastic in place.) When the weather warms up again and you want to open your window, the film can be carefully removed without causing damage.
4. Swap Out Regular Curtains With Thermal Ones (And Keep Them Closed)
Another way to cut down on drafts from windows is with a set of the best thermal curtains, which, depending on the style, can cost anywhere from $15 to $50 or more. What makes thermal curtains stand apart from other types of curtains are their thick, heavy duty fabric that is often made of multiple layers of fabric.
The best thermal curtains work by trapping cold air at the window and preventing it from infiltrating the room. In summertime, they can also help keep your room cooler by blocking out sunshine and trapping hot air. Of course, you’ll want to keep thermal curtains closed over windows in order to reap their benefits.
5. Move Furniture Away From Radiators
If you live in an older home or apartment with a radiator heater, you’ll want to make sure that you don’t have any large furniture pieces, like a sofa or a bed, right next to them. Instead, move furniture to the opposite wall to better allow heat to circulate around the room.
6. Have Central Heating? Keep Interior Doors Open
If you have a central heating system, experts say to keep the interior doors to your home open (or, at least, partially cracked) to enable to heat to flow easily through your home. This will help keep your indoor temperature more consistent from room to room and allow a central HVAC system to operate most efficiently.
7. Take Advantage Of Heat From Your Oven
When you’re planning to bake or heat up your breakfast or dinner in the oven, take advantage of the residual heat from the appliance after you turn it off by leaving your oven door open to allow the warmth to transfer into your kitchen. (Keep in mind that any children or pets should be kept away from the area while the oven door remains open for their safety.)
8. Use A Portable Space Heater Where You Need Extra Warmth
Using a portable space heater is all but guaranteed to keep you warm even in especially frigid temperatures. You can find compact options for less than $30 that, as a bonus, can be moved from place to place around your home to blow warm air exactly where you need it.
Here’s to keeping warm this winter and keeping your heating costs down as much as possible!
Margeaux Baulch Klein is a freelance writer and digital strategist based in Los Angeles. She has written for publications like the Huffington Post, New York Daily News, Bustle, and HelloGiggles, among others. Visit Scripps News to see more of Margeaux's work. More.
