When freezing snow blankets your town or city, there’s nothing quite cozy as settling for a warm night at home. If you’re looking to keep your house toasty warm for the colder months, ‘winter-proofing’ your windows and doors will be your first line of defense. Just like improving your network’s security by installing firewalls and exploring archiving software solutions, adding specific ‘updates’ to your doors and windows can protect your home from the harsh cold and snow.
Not only will you appreciate the warmth, but it can also make your home energy-efficient, saving you money and helping the environment.
Here are the best options you have in preventing cold air from seeping through your windows and doors together — and each one.
Add Insulation to Your Doors and Windows
If you can reach behind your window or door trims, adding batt insulation or spraying foam insulation is some of the best ways you can insulate these areas, preventing cold air from coming through their creases. If you choose spray foam, choose one made for doors and windows, while when using batt insulation, never ‘overstuff’ these places as it works best when gently inserted and fluffy.
Caulk Around Your Doors and Windows
Using caulk is an inexpensive yet efficient way of sealing your windows and doors for winter, and a couple of tubes can go a long way. The best type of caulk to use for windows and doors are ones made from polyurethane as they’re paintable, unshrinkable, sticks better, and doesn’t attract dirt particles.
Although these measures are excellent at conditioning your doors and windows from the cold, each one still needs special ‘adjustments.’
Updating Windows
Windows are some of the most susceptible entryways of your home, welcoming cold winds and snow indoors. Here’s how you can update your windows for the winter.
-
Install Storm Windows
Installing storm windows ensures maximum wind protection. These installations can protect your windows against harsh weather conditions and stubborn drafts, keeping your home safe and warm throughout the season.
-
Hang Thermal Window Drapes
Thermal window drapes or fashions can trap heat, blocking breezes from coming inside your home efficiently, acting as a favored solution by many homeowners. Although they’re more expensive than standard plastic insulator kits, you can reuse them for years to come.
Updating Doors
Besides windows, another prone entryway in your home that can welcome in the cold with open hinges is your door. Here’s how you can condition your doors for the colder months.
-
Take Advantage of Your Door’s Deadbolt
Insulation is essential in keeping your house warm throughout winter, and using deadbolts for your door pulls it tight, strengthening its seal and keeping your home warm all season. ;
-
Add a Draft Guard
Draft guards protect your home from cold air by blocking the small creases of your doors. If you don’t want to buy news, get creative, and use rolled up old towels or blanks to stop cold air from seeping in your household.
-
Install Door Gaskets
Although adding weather stripping doubles a gasket, you can go further by adding in mounted gaskets to insulate your doors. Adding these aluminum extrusions covers the door frame’s molds or itself, protecting your home from cold drafts.
Drafts, leaks, and poor insulation can lead to your home becoming colder as the winter months progress, and the most common culprits for these are your doors and windows. So, when you spot the first few specks of snow falling, it’s time to give them any of the ‘upgrades’ mentioned — preparing your home efficiently for the winter.
