What do you do to winterize your home?

[amber]

For those of you that live in cold climates, what do you do to winterize your home? Since the price of oil in so high, I have to find ways to cut down on my heating costs.

I first wash all exterior windows so that the sun can come through and heat the house.

I buy crystal clear plastic to put over my windows to keep all drafts out.

My outlets are insulated to keep drafts out.

I have to purchase a storm door.

I have wood floors which is great in the summer, but in the winter it is very cold on the feet, so I am looking for area carpets.

I change my furnace filter montly so I get the maximum amount of heat coming through my vents.

What do you guys do to winterize?

 

[texasgirl]

Clean out the fireplace
Check for any drafts
Check heater to make sure it's working properly and to burn off any dust.
That's about it. It gets cold, but, not like up north.

 

[amber]

Clean out the fireplace
Check for any drafts
Check heater to make sure it's working properly and to burn off any dust.
That's about it. It gets cold, but, not like up north.

I remember winters in Texas Fairly mild compared to Maine, but it did get down to 30 degrees and a bit of snow.

We have a fireplace too, which we mostly use in the fall and early spring, however, the price of wood has now skyrocketed just like oil It's going to be a long winter I think

 

[texasgirl]

Wish I could send you some, it's pretty cheap down here right now.

 

[kitchenelf]

Bring out the Scotch and put away the Mojitos!

 

[texasgirl]

Bring out the Scotch and put away the Mojitos!

Heck yea, but, I would rather have Vanilla White Russians lol

 

[mrsmac]

PUll out some warmer clothes, find a heater or two and put another blanket on the bed! I cannot imagine what it would be like to have to really prepare for winter.

 

[-DEADLY SUSHI-]

I have an apartment. I turn on the heat!

 

[callie]

It's snowy and cold in the winter where I live. We are lucky to be able to cut our own firewood so that's all done and ready. We dress much warmer during the winter (even indoors). We tend to do more baking, soup-making, etc., so the heat from the stove/oven helps warm things up. I also move the furniture around. I pull things a little closer to give the living room a "warmer" feel.

We also make sure the antifreeze is good in the vehicles and put blankets in all the cars. Chores, chores, chores

 

[kitchenelf]

callie - do you have to plug your cars into an electric heater? When I lived in vermont we had to do that every night - there is an outlet in every driveway.

 

[Alix]

You're supposed to winterize your HOME?? Wow. OK, I will be following this. I think all I do is make sure the shovel isn't broken.

 

[texasgirl]

You're supposed to winterize your HOME?? Wow. OK, I will be following this. I think all I do is make sure the shovel isn't broken.

 

[wasabi]

Move it to Hawaii.

 

[Claire]

Just had the local heat/plumbing/A/C guys come out and check our heating system and do any minor repairs. We have a 150-year old house with old storm doors on the back end of the house, and will take out screens and put in glass in after the first frost. We have a couple of windows with storm windows, and we'll do that on them. We have baseboard heating, and I will take a special vacuum cleaner attachment and clean them all out. Once winter sets in we'll lower our pleated blinds (I can't remember what they're called) at night. They don't seem like much, but they do create an air lock and make a difference. This year I'm thinking of looking for a thermal sheet to put behind the fireplace screen when we aren't using a fire. I'm expecting heating costs to escalate. Luckily, I tend to hot, and maybe menopause will pay off this winter even more. Most of our freinds keep their houses much hotter than we do in the winter (and, oddly, much colder in the summer). Since I sweat the night away no matter the house temperature, that isn't an issue. During the day, when I'm not going anywhere, a great set of sweats is super (I'm amazed at the number of people who raise the heat in their houses so they can run around barefoot in jeans and a t-shirt. OK, do it, and enjoy the bills). A couple of years ago my mom bought me a robe that is neck-to-foot sweatshirt with a zip front, and that is super since I'm often up before sunrise -- makes it so I don't have to turn up the heat for hours after I get up. And don't forget, sleeping with socks on (even when I might be dressed skimpy from there up!). I've always joked that if the rest of my body is comfy, that means my feet will be cold. But don't underestimate the value of good, comfortable, warm clothes when inside. When I go to friends' houses I wind up wearing a summery top under a pullover so I can strip down,they keep their houses so warm.

 

[amber]

You're supposed to winterize your HOME?? Wow. OK, I will be following this. I think all I do is make sure the shovel isn't broken.

I guess your winters are warm then? Shovel, oh yea thats the other thing to put on my list actually, not plastic ones, this season is steal shovel ****** Did I mention I hate winter even though I live in Maine Oh here is a tip I heard from my neighbor last year...when the snow sticks to your shovel, lube it up with oil, it slides off easily....very good tip!

 

[middie]

turn on the furnace.

use a few space heaters
since the price of natural
gas is going up drastically.

rarely do i ever wear sweatshirts
but i will if it's really really cold.

i wear flannel pajamas and i sleep
in a heated waterbed.

oh and we bring out the electric
blankets and snuggle up under them
on the couch.

 

[callie]

kitchenelf, yep we plug in the cars. AND do lots of snow shoveling - great exercise

 

[mudbug]

Given what I'm hearing on TV about natural gas prices, we are foolishly putting a gas fireplace in the (finished) basement. However, this has been a wish of Handy Husband's for many months, so I am not interfering.

We reverse all the ceiling fans once the weather cools off to force the warm air down.

 

[Alix]

I guess your winters are warm then? Shovel, oh yea thats the other thing to put on my list actually, not plastic ones, this season is steal shovel ****** Did I mention I hate winter even though I live in Maine Oh here is a tip I heard from my neighbor last year...when the snow sticks to your shovel, lube it up with oil, it slides off easily....very good tip!

OMG, so NOT true. I live in Alberta where our average winter temp is about -25C which translates to -13F. I just don't do anything in particular to prep for winter. I like to stick my head in the sand and ignore it until I can't back the car down the driveway.

 

[pdswife]

We clean out the ditches in front of the house so the rains don't flood them. This year we're going to put some hay bale in them to help soak up the water. It doesn't get very cold here.. but it does rain a lot.

We'll pull out the space heater to keep the office nice and toasty and turn the waterbed up a degree or two and add a blanket. That's about it besides putting the shorts away and pulling out the turtle necks.