Monday, November 07, 2005

Winterizing Our Homes

Quick! Before the cold weather returns, use this pleasant lull to complete your lingering outdoor home projects. I need to turn my attention to winterizing: finding and sealing the energy leaks. Just imagine a steady stream of dollar bills pouring from those cracks and crevices. First on my list is a new (used) storm door to replace the one I removed from our front. This home has replacement windows which should not need caulking, but we do need to seal the foundation vents with the plywood/styrofoam covers we made last year. I'm still combing the web for creative and frugal ideas to keep even more of our heat. Until then, here's a great article about winterizing (scroll down for photos).

Kristen from 1902 Victorian just installed velvet draperies to insulate her windows. A franchise called The Curtain Exchange is a fabulous source for custom draperies on consignment. One just opened in Nashville I can't wait to check out! My living room panels were purchased this way: British fabric that retails for $100 a yard, heavily insulated, and long enough to drape generously from ceiling to floor. They cost less than a pair of Pottery Barn panels, to boot.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

In many places your gas or electric company will come do an energy audit. They can actually sit outside your house on a cold day and get an infrared image. It tells you where you're losing heat. We did this at our church and it saved a ton of money.