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Sealing your doors and windows for the winter

150 150 Nisha Muire
Canadian winters can be harsh and Toronto winters are no exception. Sealing your home’s doors and winters for the cold season is one of the best ways to prevent energy costs from going through the roof. Even a small draft can greatly impact your heating bill over the course of a winter. There are many ways to seal your doors and windows and all of them are quite simple and can easily be done by yourself.
 
Weathersrtipping is one of the easiest and most cost effective ways of getting rid of drafts. You can purchase a weatherstripping kit from any home hardware store that will give you everything needed. There are even handy tutorials online that will guide a novice through the process of properly using the materials.
 
Getting new door sweeps is another very effective way of keeping out the cold. You can buy new sweeps and cut them down to the correct size easily. Something else you can add to your doors to keep the cold out is foam tape. It can be cut and applied to your doors wherever the doors are warped to seal them properly.
 
A great product for sealing your windows is interior window film. Similar to shrink wrap, window film looks like saran wrap, but shrinks to fit when heated with a blow dryer. It is an easy and economical way of keeping the cold air out and the warm air in.
 
Another easy trick for your windows is to hang insulated, thermal curtains. The thick and light-and-air-blocking curtains are highly effective at keeping out the cold and also at keeping out sunlight during the winter, which would heat up your home and increase your air conditioning costs. However, in order for them to work, the curtains have to be drawn. If you like to let in the light, then this might not be the best solution for you.

A super simple way of preventing cold air from coming in from under doors is to use a door snake. These nifty craft snakes are made of weighted fabric and absorb the chill. You can either make them yourself or simply roll up a towel and place it at the foot of your door or window.
 
Lastly, every fall you should get yourself a tube or two of exterior caulking and walk around your home resealing the doors and windows.
 
Keeping your home well sealed is not hard and requires minimal effort on your part, but will make a world of difference during the winter.

Author

Nisha Muire

All stories by: Nisha Muire