Good insulation protects your home from more than cold weather. Boosting your home’s insulation is a great way to keep the cold from creeping in during winter and to keep cool air inside during summer. It’s also a home improvement that helps energy efficiency and can significantly lower your heating bills.
If you’re wondering whether that might be easier said than done, we have some good news. These simple DIY insulation projects can have a significant impact on your home’s efficiency and require only a modest amount of time and effort. Get started today, and enjoy a more well-insulated house this winter!
- Get a Door SnakeHere’s a test. Hold your hand near the crack at the bottom of your door on a cold day. Feel a draft? If so, it is costing you. Placing a door snake at the foot of your door is quick, easy, cheap, and an incredibly effective way to insulate drafty doors. A rolled-up blanket or towel will do in a pinch.
- Hang Heavy CurtainsLight, flowy curtains might look nice in summer, but winter requires something different. Hanging curtains made of a heavier material helps insulate your windows, keeping precious heat inside where you want it.
- Seal Up Your WindowsA lot of cold air can seep into your house through tiny gaps and cracks around windows. Seal these gaps with weather stripping — narrow pieces of vinyl, rubber, foam, or metal — and be sure to check around door frames as well. And of course, while your attention is on your windows, it’s always a good idea to install storm windows in fall to provide an extra layer of insulation.
- Caulk Around Dryer and Bathroom VentsThe place where dryer and bathroom vents enter your house is an often-overlooked air leak. These vents often go years without being properly sealed, which can cost you a lot on your heating bills in the long run. Checking your vents for a proper seal is an easy DIY home improvement job, and make sure you have a tube of caulk on hand to make that seal a little more secure.
- Add Attic InsulationIn many homes, the attic is the number one place where heat escapes, so it’s essential it be well insulated. Adding insulation is a surprisingly simple job, whether you plan to install rolled insulation or spread around some loose paper insulation. One key to remember is that the floor of your attic must be well insulated to prevent heat from rising and only warming the attic. If you have a door on your ceiling that leads to the attic, you can buy and easily install an insulating insert to keep all your heat from seeping through that door.
- Insulate Your Water HeaterYour water heater could be another major source of energy loss, especially if it’s an older model or if it isn’t insulated properly. Adding an insulation blanket to your water heater can cut your heating bill by as much as 16%. Just be sure you know whether you have a gas water heater or electric; the insulation will need to be installed differently depending on the type.
Using these tips, you can work on improving your home’s energy efficiency and keeping your energy bills low.Â
