Chicago Home and Lifestyles – 11 tips to keep your home warm this winter
It’s sure getting cold out in Chicago! We’ve just received 10 inches of snow this last week—a sign that the cold weather is settling in after a warmer-than-usual Fall. Here are a few simple tricks to keep your home nice and toasty this season (and save a few dollars too).
Clear clogged gutters. Clogged gutters on your home in the winter are one of the most damaging things. Ice and snow will melt in the sun, and if the water has nowhere to go, it will creep up the roof and refreeze, forming an ice dam. This will damage your roof and even the interior of your home. Hopefully you were able to do this before you got a lot of snow or cold. Another tip to keep the outside safe is covering any exterior faucets or spigots, after draining them first.
Keep using your ceiling fan. If you have ceiling fans you can still use them in the winter! Simply reverse to spin clockwise and run at low speed. This pushes down the warm air hanging out at the ceiling.
Install some weather-stripping tape. Apply around door frames and windows to eliminate leaks. Even easier is weather sealing tape that can be applied directly to frames and windows, then removed as weather warms.
Stick a doorstopper in your exterior doors. No door holds perfectly tight without letting some cold air seep in. A door stopper is a simple and effective solution.
Use vent covers. Your heating vents push warm air into rooms, but they can also allow drafts and a loss of warm air if the room is not in use. A few magnetic vent covers can block off vents not in use and are easily removed if needed.
Cover your chimneys and fireplaces. These two are draft central in the winter! A chimney balloon will block these, and a fireplace plug for fireplaces is a great idea to keep that heat in.
Insulate any exterior pipes. If you have a kitchen sink that’s on an exterior wall you know those pipes can freeze in extremely cold weather. Use some insulating foam tubes. If it’s a particularly cold night, prop open the cabinet to let warmer air in (especially overnight).
Install an a/c cover. If your window air conditioners stay in over the winter, this is crucial. Use some weather sealing tape or weather stripping around the window.
Apply window film. Window film kits are inexpensive and really work. Apply and shrink tight to the window with a hair dryer. Add some heavy thermal curtains to keep everything warm and cozy all winter.
Keep the attic from stealing your heat. If you have pull-down stairs to your attic, install an attic stairway cover to prevent all your heat ending up in the attic.
Save energy with a water heater blanket. Your water heater most likely is located in a cooler part of your house, so insulating it will keep your hot water hot for less money!
Do you have any tips to keep the house warmer this winter?
Kathleen Weaver-Zech and Dean’s Team Chicago
