There’s nothing better than a chilly and blustery autumn day, as you take in the beauty of nature around you. While we’re busy preparing to carve pumpkins, drink hot apple cider, and curl up around the TV to watch a movie with our families, the wind of autumn is creeping in our homes. It’s beautiful to sit and watch the autumn breeze pull the colorful bounty of leaves from the trees; it’s less beautiful when we’re having to put on a hoodie in our home because of drafts.
Older houses are going to have drafts, that’s an inevitability, but allowing them to go on unchecked can cost you extra money on your heating bill. The problem is, most people are at a loss as to how to fix drafts properly without having to spend buckets of money to do so. Here are some tips.
- Use a Portiere – This is a heavy drapery hung over open door frame, and it dates back to early European culture. If you’ve got a long hallway or a foyer that always seems to be chillier than the rest of the house, chances are there is a draft there. A portiere will help to contain the draft to that area.
- Utilize the Sun – When the sun is shining, let it in. The warmth of the sun will help to bring up the interior temperature of your rooms. If there are trees or bushes blocking the sun from coming in, remove them, or even relocate them to block the wind in a different place in your yard.
- Weather-stripping – An estimated 10% of a home’s heat escapes through leaky windows, so if you can afford to do so, replace them. If that isn’t an option for your budget, you can try weather stripping or caulking your windows. Check YouTube for helpful hints on how to properly do this.
- Use Draft Snakes – Check out Pinterest for tips on how to make a homemade draft snake or buy one from any department or hardware store. These are long cylindrical objects that are placed in front of doors and windows in order to keep the drafts out at the bottom. Just remember to put them back into place after opening or closing the door.
- Area Rugs – Older hardwood floors can cause drafts to rise up from the bottom of the house, and area rugs can help to keep those bursts of cold air from seeping into the house, or at least block them from entering the room.
First and foremost, make sure that your only issue is a draft, and not some other serious issue with your furnace or heat pump. If you think there may be a more serious problem, contact us today!
