Welcome to fall! Here in Ohio, you can feel the change in the air. The afternoons are golden, the evenings are getting crisp, and you might have even pulled on your favorite sweater for the first time this season.
As we say goodbye to summer, it’s the perfect time to make sure our homes are ready for the cooler weather ahead. Think of your house like a winter coat. If your coat has a broken zipper or a hole in the pocket, the cold wind gets in. The same is true for your house!
The secret to a warm and cozy home is stopping those sneaky drafts. Let’s look at how you can do it.
What is a Draft, Anyway?
You’ve probably heard people talk about a “drafty” room. A draft is simply a small leak that lets cold air from the outside get into your house.
These leaks are like tiny, open doors. They let all the warm air your furnace works so hard to create escape outside. When your warm air leaves, your furnace has to turn on more often to keep up. That means it uses more energy, which costs you more money on your heating bill.
By sealing these leaks, you keep the warm air in and the cold air out.
Your 3-Step “Draft Detective” Mission
Finding drafts is easy and can even be a fun project. All you need to do is become a “draft detective.” Here’s your mission:
Step 1: Look for Daylight This is the easiest test. Close a door or a window. Now, turn off the lights in the room. Can you see any slivers of daylight peeking around the edges of the door or window frame? If light can get through, air can definitely get through.
Step 2: Feel for a Breeze On a cool or windy day, close your windows and doors. Carefully run your hand along the edges where the window meets the frame and where the door meets its frame. Can you feel a small, cool breeze on your hand? If you do, you’ve found a draft!
Step 3: Check the Old Seals Look at the edges of your doors and windows. You might see an old, flat piece of rubber or foam. This is old weatherstripping. If it looks cracked, squished flat, or is peeling off, it’s not doing its job anymore and needs to be replaced.
Easy Ways to Stop Drafts
Once you’ve found the drafts, fixing them is simple. Here are the most common tools for the job:
For the Bottom of Doors: The big gap under your door is a major source of drafts. A door sweep is a long strip of plastic or metal with a rubber flap that you attach to the bottom of the door. It closes that gap and stops the cold air in its tracks.
For Windows and Door Frames: The best tool here is weatherstripping tape. It’s usually a soft foam tape with a sticky back. You just cut it to the right length, peel the back off, and press it firmly into the frame of your window or door to seal the cracks.
A Cozy Home All Winter
Spending just a little bit of time this fall to find and fix drafts is one of the smartest things you can do for your home.
You’ll be rewarded with a house that feels warmer and cozier on cold winter nights. Plus, you’ll be saving energy and money on your heating bills. It’s a simple project that makes a huge difference all season long.
