Tis the season for the thermostat wars!

Updated November 18th, 2021 – New MSN link – original article no longer available.

Browsing on the World Wide Web, I found this interesting article on MSN Real Estate on how to properly winterize your home, to save on energy costs. It is entitled “10 ways to winterize your home – now” written by Christopher Solomon. Having spent all of my life in the Tundra of Wisconsin, I have found myself doing a lot of the mentioned things, but not to its fullest potential.

Below I have outlined, in my opinion, some of the most important points in this article.

• Block Those Leaks
  One of the best ways to winterize your home is to simply block obvious leaks around your house, both inside and out, experts say. The average American home has leaks that amount to a nine-square-foot hole in the wall, according to EarthWorks Group. First, find the leaks: On a breezy day, walk around inside holding a lit incense stick to the most common drafty areas: recessed lighting, window and door frames, electrical outlets.Then, buy door sweeps to close spaces under exterior doors, and caulk or apply tacky rope caulk to those drafty spots, says Danny Lipford, host of the nationally syndicated TV show “Today’s Homeowner.” Outlet gaskets can easily be installed in electrical outlets that share a home’s outer walls, where cold air often enters.Outside, seal leaks with weather-resistant caulk. For brick areas, use masonry sealer, which will better stand up to freezing and thawing. “Even if it’s a small crack, it’s worth sealing up,” Lipford Says. “It also discourages any insects from entering your home.”

For a standard indoor caulk to fix the air leaks, try Colorfast Tile & Grout Caulk or Dap Caulk available in Clear.

• Get Your Ducts in a Row
  According to the U.S. Department of Energy, a home with central heating can lost up to 60% of its heated air before that air reaches the vents if ductwork is not well-connected and insulated, or if it must travel through unheated spaces. That’s a huge amount of wasted money, not to mention a chilly house. Ducts aren’t always easy to see, but you can often find theme exposed in the attic, the basement and crawlspaces. Repair places where pipes are pinched, which impedes flow of heated air to the house, and fix gaps with a metal-backed tape (duct tape actually doesn’t stand up to the job over time). Ducts also should be vacuumed once every few years, to clean out the abundant dust, animal hair and other gunk that can gather in them and cause respiratory problems.

While you are cleaning out your duct work, why not replaced all your old grungy floor registers and wall returns? Install a Return Air Filter Grille with a washable/reusable Filter help ensure clean air in your home.

Read the rest of the article for more great tips on winterizing your home. For more great home improvement items such as transition strips, registers, and floor protection, browse our website Installerstore.com.
Here’s to another LOOONG winter!