Our winters are long, and most of the houses we work in are leaking heat somewhere. These are the fixes we see pay off most often, roughly in order of cost.
1. Close off the fireplace
An open wood-burning fireplace pulls warm room air up the chimney all day, whether or not there's a fire. Fit glass doors with a gasket seal, and add a chimney-top damper if the throat damper doesn't close tight. Keep the vents closed unless you're burning.
2. Hang heavier curtains
Insulated or quilted curtains over drafty windows let you keep the thermostat lower and still feel comfortable. They install on your existing rod in minutes. Open them on sunny south-facing windows during the day to let free heat in, and close them at dusk.
3. Turn the thermostat down, heat the room you're in
Every degree you lower the thermostat saves roughly one percent on the heating bill. Drop it five or more degrees and use a space heater in the room where the family actually sits. Oil-filled electric heaters are quiet and safe; keep any heater clear of curtains and bedding.
4. Add storm windows
If your windows are old single-pane units, exterior or interior storm windows cut heat loss significantly for a fraction of the cost of replacement. We install both.
5. Seal the basement
The rim joist, where the house framing sits on the foundation, is usually uninsulated and full of gaps. Foam and caulk there, plus sealing around pipes, wires and the dryer vent, stops cold air from being pulled into the house. This is one of the highest-return jobs we do.
6. Find the drafts
On a cold day, an inexpensive infrared thermometer shows exactly where the cold spots are: around outlets, window frames, attic hatches and recessed lights. Then caulk, foam or weatherstrip each one.
7. Weatherstrip doors
Replace worn door sweeps and weatherstripping. A quarter-inch gap under a door is the same as a hole the size of a baseball in the wall.
8. Insulate the attic
Heat rises, and an attic with thin or compressed insulation lets it go. Bringing attic insulation up to current standards is the single biggest improvement for most older homes, and it also prevents ice dams by keeping the roof deck cold.
9. Service the heating system
Change filters, bleed radiators and have the boiler or furnace tuned. A dirty system burns more fuel to do the same work.
Want help with any of these? Our indoor handyman services cover weatherstripping, caulking, storm windows, rim-joist sealing and attic hatches. Request a free estimate.