How To Weatherproof Your Home

Sometimes it will be obvious when your home needs to be weatherproofed, snow on the windowsill, for instance or drafts coming in from a closed door. Other times, the signs are a bit more concealed, for example, did you know that heat can escape through your electrical outlets?

Window Insulation
One of the best things that you can do to weatherproof your windows is to seal them with sheets of clear plastic. A kit can be found at just about any department or home improvement store. This is simply a matter of using double sided tape to sick the plastic to the perimeter of the window. Then a heat gun or blow dryer can be used to shrink the plastic, creating a virtually draft free area.

Foam Insulation
Using insulating foam is another easy and inexpensive way to weatherproof your home. This comes in either precut forms to slip behind the outlet covers or in what looks like a spray paint can. When using the sheets, simply unscrew the cover, put the foam sheet over the outlet and refasten the faceplate. Another option is to purchase expanding foam. Carefully follow the directions regarding ventilation and usage instructions. This can generally be used to fill in the voids created by light switches, outlets and outside faucets.

Using Caulk to Weatherproof
Caulking is another cost effective and easy way to weatherproof your home. For this, you will simply need a tube of calk and a gun. Again, following manufacture directions for room temperature and usage simply squeeze a bit into the corners of the windows and doors. Make sure you get a full line, filling in any breakages. It takes a bit to get the pressure right when squeezing the trigger on the gun, but once you get used to it, the overall project time is rather minimal.