Winterization Q & A
With colder weather arriving, people want to know how to best prepare their homes for the dropping temperatures. Get your questions answered in this winterization Q & A video by House & Home:
Q: What can I do to prevent hot air from escaping my home?
A: The main thing you can do is to install new doors and windows, which are very energy efficient and keep drafts out of the house. For your existing doors and windows that are leaking, there’s magnetic weatherstripping for the sides and door sweeps for the bottom along with a variety of different silicone and acrylic caulkings for doors and windows. There are also window insulation kits which are plastic ones that go on with hair dryers. You can also get weatherstripping for switchplate and electrical outlets, which are other places where heat can escape.
Q: What is another cost-effective ways to lower your energy bill?
A: Check the insulation in your attic. The more insulation, the better, so you want to have the proper amount of inches in there.
Q: I’ve heard you can use your ceiling fan to keep cool in the summer and warm in the winter. How does that work?
A: You want to have your ceiling fan spin in a counterclockwise way in the summer but in a clockwise way in the winter. A clockwise spin bring an updraft which in turn brings the warm air down
Q: If you have furniture that sits on your floor vents and there is no way to move the furniture, is there a solution?
A: You can use plastic air deflectors which are long tubes of plastic which will sit under a piece of furniture or little shields which will blow the air back into the proper part of the room.
Q: How can you reduce your energy costs without having to come home to a cold house?
A: Install a programmable thermostat so it’s warm when you’re home and cool when you’re at work or school. Some of these also work with a smart phone app.
Q: What’s the best portable heater?
A: Get an infrared heater with an adjustable thermostat, fan speed adjustment and timer so it shuts off when you don’t need it.
