Weatherizing for Winter

Stay warm in these freezing temps!

You can hire me to winterize your home.

Hey, Chicago. It’s not too late to winterize your humble abode. The most common issue in older home is drafts – places where warm air escapes and/or cold air comes in. Today’s extremely cold temps are a good opportunity to see where you have a breach. Where is the cold air coming from? The answer is probably windows, doorframes and gaps in the walls or floors. Take note of these areas and next time you get in your car, drive yourself to the nearest hardware store (remember to shop small/local whenever possible) and pick up some od the featured items, below.

These are tools will help to cheaply plug and repair these drafts.

This self adhesive sealer almost never stays stuck where you want it. I used a staple gun to apply it around my door frame (don’t go crazy just a few staples will do). Now, the door is airtight. I’m a renter and this is easy to remove leaving only very small holes in a discreet area. I will leave it up year round to keep the cool air in during the summer and remove it when I move out one day.

Use this to plug gaps around windows, doors, floors and walls. Once you’ve pushed it into the gap, as I have above, you can seal it with caulk, a quarter round or just leave it alone.

This old faithful will keep you warm and be almost unnoticeable when it’s done right. The first step is to clean the fame or walls where the tape will be applied. Tape will not stick to dust or dirt. Next, once dry, apply the tape by pressing firmly and then hit it with the blow dryer to ensure adhesion to the wall. Carefully, remove the tape backing and apply the plastic. And finally, the fun part, shrink the plastic with the blowdryer and trim the excess.

Pro tip: Seal the entire window box whenever possible (see above). Leaving a buffer zone to trap cold air will improve results.

And finally, get those curtains you’ve been thinking about! There are so many affordable options out these days. These will trap even more cold air. Stay warm out there!