6 Handy Home Tips For Winter
Season’s greetings, dear readers of the Filipino Forum! Before we delve into this month’s column, I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank all who supported me in last month’s municipal election. From the bottom of my heart, I truly appreciate it! Who knows, maybe we’ll try again in four years time!
Now on to the subject at hand: Winter! The time has once again come to break out the big boots, puffy coats and change the tires of your car to the kind that don’t easily slip and slide on ice! It’s also the season when your home heating expense might put a dent in your pocket book if you’re not careful. Here are 6 handy tips to help you keep the cold at bay and your Hydro bill under control…
1. Check your windows –This is a very common source of heat leakage. Carefully examine the corners and edges of each of your windows. Any draft, however minor, should be sealed with caulking or weather-stripping. If your windows are old, it might be time to replace them. Modern windows are designed to be much more energy efficient than older ones.
2. Plastic wrap - If replacing your windows to newer ones isn’t an option at the moment, you might want to consider putting plastic film over them. Properly installed, these can act as an extra buffer against drafts and will ultimately help keep your heating costs down. Your local hardware store should have these available in window insulation kits. Yes, this technique may be a bit of an eyesore, but the trade-off is that you save on your heating bill.
3. Insulate your pipes – Wrapping insulation foam around your water pipes helps prevent them from freezing. It also reduces the cost of heating hot water. Pre-slit pipe foam can generally be found at most hardware stores and is fairly easy to install.
4. Keep an eye on the thermostat – When you leave for work in the morning, you might want to consider bringing the temperature down degree or two. After all, what’s the point of heating an empty house? This can be done manually or with a programmable thermostat.
5. Draft blockers – Got a draft creeping from under your door? Block it using a rolled up towel or old blanket. This solution may be low-tech, but it’ll definitely save you a few bucks!
6. Outdoor maintenance – Make sure gutters are clear of leaves and twigs so that melted snow can drain properly. Also, trim the trees on your property of long branches to minimize the risk of them damaging your house in an ice storm.
Until next time, keep warm, stay safe and happy holidays!
Erik Hamon
Groupe Sutton Centre Ouest
ehamon@sutton.com
514-483-5800
