subject: How To Battle The Arrival Of The Winter Season [print this page] Winter has arrived, typically we see the coming of this season herald by the displays in stores offering deals on winter clothes and holiday dcor. Local coffee shops bring back seasonal drinks that are reminiscent with winter, and invite those to come in and warm themselves with a beverage and good conversation. Then before we realize it, comes the actual season, the cold, the snow, and the true desire for warmth.
This is the time to prepare to be to be warm all winter and not have it cost you terribly. Weather it being trying to save some energy or making sure youre prepared for power outages due to blizzards, these tips will make sure you and yours are toasty all winter.
One of the best things you can do is closed and seal any drafts you may have. Make sure all windows are securely shut, latched and locked. Many windows do not seal all the way without being latched and locked. Once that is done, check for drafts, cracks and holes. Cover them. Many windows have small drafts the come in, especially if you live in an older building. Cover them with clear plastic. Many stores sell plastic for just this. It is very similar to shrink wrap. You may also want to buy some removable caulk that is made just for windows. By making sure your windows are sealed tightly this helps prevent warm air from escaping and cold air from invading.
Make sure there are not drafts coming from doors. Check a long all the seams and the door frame. If the door has an actual crack in it, say somewhere in the middle seal it but whatever means you deem fit. There are multiple sealer options at stores or even using some duct tape will help. If there is a draft coming from the bottom of your door. Get a draft stopper or use a towel or blanket. Also lock your door. One for general safety but also locking the door will pull its a little bit tighter and make the seal between the door and the frame much tighter.
Other little things such as closing off the vents in unused rooms and then closing the doors off to that unused room will help keep the heat centralized you the areas that are being used and will also help keep the heating bill lower. When cooking with the oven after finishing leave the door ajar so the remaining heat will come out and heat the house and not go to waste. Wear a sweatshirt and use space heaters and blanket heaters for more individual warmth.
The being said, most of our warmth really depends on electricity. With all the recent super storms popping up around the globe, having a backup energy supply is essential. Having candles and flashlights with fresh batteries are so important. Also make sure you have a lighter for those candles. Another very important thing to invest in is a generator. Having a backup generator to power the house during power outages is key. Having all the cold air blocked out wont do any good if you lose power and are not able to heat your home from the inside.
Taking one whole day to check and make all these adjustments can help save you all winter long.
