Winterizing Your Home on a Budget- Week 3

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Winterizing Your Home on a Budget
Week 3
Winter has arrived and trying to keep your home warm is quite the challenge.  If you are not planning
on how to heat your home efficiently then you are planning on failing at the job.  
Just think about it. If you are heating your home to 70 degrees and it is 20 degrees outside then you
will be heating the outside and your furnace will run non-stop resulting in higher heating bills.  
This series is geared towards simple things you can do to help eliminate heat from escaping and
keep your heating bills in check while on a budget.  
This week’s focus is on the Outside of the House.  
Look at your window frames.  Do they have visible cracks?  If so, seal them inside and out.
Caulking Cord cost $10.55 for a roll that should take care of your entire house.  This is easy to install
and can be painted to match your home.
Check your exterior for holes around your vents, faucets and other connections to the inside of your
home with spray foam insulation.   All holes regardless of size (large/small) need to be sealed. Not
only does it help to insulate your home from the bitter winds and cold of winter, but also from bugs
entering into your home walls during the winter months.  The spray foam insulation runs about
$11.00, but go to your local hardware store and talk with the experts to ensure that you get the right
product for the job.
Clean out your gutters.  A house’s gutter system is extremely important because it keeps water from
running down the side of your home and into your foundation which can cause erosion and moisture
inside your home.  Cleaning your gutters becomes even more important when you have trees close
to your home. Eventually I would like to install a gutter system, but that is not in the budget this year
my friends.  
Drain and put away all your hoses and winterize your irrigation system.  This will help to prevent
cracking and leaking situations in the spring. Your hoses will be protected from splitting and
becoming useless in the spring.  
Keep tree limbs trimmed away from your home because it could damage your roof and help small
animals like squirrels to climb onto your room and chewing.
If you have any suggestions on how to maintain your furnace’s efficiency, please leave a comment
below.  

Hit the subscribe button and never miss a post.  There are more tips to come for winterizing your
home.  

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