Now that cold weather is upon us, it is time to consider winterizing your home. With soaring electric bills, one huge consideration is heating costs. There are a few simple steps that you can take to substantially lower your heating bills and stay warm in the process.

First, you will need to inspect your home. Check the exterior first. Check the roof for missing shingles or leaks. Make any necessary repairs. If your home has a fireplace, check to make sure that the chimney is in working order. Replace any broken or cracked bricks. Now make sure that your gutters are free of debris. Check the exterior window screens and window casings.

Now, you want to check the interior. Check the fireplace first. Repair any cracked or broken bricks, check the damper to make sure that it is working properly and shuts tightly, and clean out all of last years ashes.

Walk through every room. You will need to check all electrical outlets to make sure they still fit close to the wall. Now check all windows. More heat escapes and cold air penetrates through loose or broken windows than any other area of your home.

If you have an older home, you will need to pay close attention to your windows. Weather stripping your windows is one easy and inexpensive way to save money on your electric bills.

If you are planning on installing the stripping yourself there are a variety of choices:

· Felt-If you are on a tight budget felt will work. It will not insulate as well as the others, but it will definitely work and is very easy to install.

· Foam-It should have adhesive on one side for easy installation.

· Interlocking-This is probably the most difficult to install as the pieces need to fit together perfectly, so you may consider hiring a professional.

· Spring Metal-It is usually packaged in a roll and should come with the brads you will need to install it.

· Vinyl-It comes hollow or foam-filled and it is generally applied to the exterior of your home. The foam-filled provides more insulation than the hollow variety.

You should be able to find most weather stripping at any home improvement store and the majority will be sold separately or in a kit that will include all of the hardware that you will need and they are all sold in a variety of colors and finishes. Depending on which type you choose, you will need a few simple tools-a hammer, screwdrivers, tape measure, pencil, scissors, and a hack saw or tin-snips.

Prior to installing the new weather stripping, remove any old stripping or debris. Now is probably a good time to clean around the windows and window sills. If you are applying adhesive stripping, make sure that everything is completely dry before starting the application process.

It is best to install weather stripping to windows before the cold weather hits. Set aside a nice day and take your time. This is not difficult but does take patience. As with all home improvement, if you have any questions, consult a professional.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, November 12th, 2008 at 8:42 am and is filed under Energy Efficient Windows and Siding, Home Improvement, Home Improvement Tips, Replacement Windows. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.