There are many ways you can to reduce your energy costs by making your home more energy efficient.
One of the simplest ways is by applying weather stripping to windows and doors to seal your home against cold drafts getting in and stop expensive heat escaping at the same time. Old wooden windows can shrink and develop gaps that will let in cold air so you may want to think about replacing them with new energy efficient ones.
The initial outlay won’t be small but you will benefit by the increased comfort and you will save money over the years. They will also add value to your property, which another plus point.
Exterior doors should be checked each year to make sure that they don’t have big gaps around them that let in the cold and allow heat to escape. Cold air and drafts can get in through gaps around the doors if they are not sealed properly.
A quick and cheap way to prevent this and make your home more energy efficient is by applying weather stripping to your exterior doorframes.
Weather stripping for your doors is quite inexpensive but will do a good job at keeping your house warmer in cold weather. You can purchase several different types for your doors, such as padded strips, vinyl stripping and brass strips.
All these types of weather stripping will seal around your doors stopping cold air and drafts from getting into your home, making your home more energy efficient and comfortable.
Brass strips can be more time consuming to fit but once in place can give you many years of service and make your home more energy efficient.
Foam tape is a cheaper but still quite effective type of weather stripping for your doors. Although it may not be as robust and long lasting as other types of weather stripping, it is still a good choice if installed properly and will do a good job at preventing cold drafts.
When fitted correctly, weather stripping should allow your door to operate freely and not affect its opening and closing in any way. It’s important to be able to open and close your doors easily but at the same time they need to be sealed tight enough to prevent cold air and drafts from getting into your home.
Fitting weather stripping yourself won’t cost much and will pay for itself very quickly by preventing heat loss. It will also make your home feel less draughty and therefore more comfortable.
