I hate to say it, but the weather is starting to get a lot cooler. It’s time to really prepare my house for winter.
Energy bills are higher in the winter, since colder temperatures mean our heating systems are working harder to keep us warm. There are also fewer hours of daylight, holidays with visitors, decorations and cooking large meals, and billing cycles can go from 27 days to 35 depending on the month. I found all of this information at myavista.com/winterbill.
One fairly easy way to make sure cold air isn’t coming through my windows is clear plastic sheeting. I received a kit at Avista’s Energy Fair last year and I’m hoping these sheets will help my heating bill. You can find these at the hardware store for about $10.
First, I cleaned off the window trimming. At the energy fair, they gave me a tip that isn’t on the instructions of my kit. I should get some painters’ tape so the double-sided tape I use in the kit won’t rip the paint off my walls.
Once the painters’ tape was in place, I applied the double-sided tape directly to the painters’ tape. I measured the plastic sheeting, leaving a 2-inch overlap on all sides. I pressed the plastic into place.
This was the hardest part about this project. While I was hanging the plastic, some parts of the it stuck to the double-sided tape and it hung crooked. I had to carefully peel it off and do it again a couple of times.
The fun part of this project is getting out my hair dryer and blowing it about ¼ inch away from the surface of the plastic. This removed the wrinkles.
This winter, when it really starts to get cold, not only will I have ridded myself of the draft, but the space between the plastic and the window will heat up, lending me some extra warmth.
Lisa, an Avista customer, bought her 1910 house because she loved the old-world character, some of which doesn’t make her house very energy efficient. Lisa is sharing her experience on taking some simple do-it-yourself improvements to inspire others to do the same. You’ll find her stories right here every Tuesday.