Keep it Cozy

With this recent cold spell, so common for mid-November in Calgary, we are getting a sneak peek of the winter that is in front of us.  The next few months will bring us more snow and more cold, but what else do we expect, this is the Canadian prairie, we’re built for cold, right?

 

Okay, let’s talk about what I just said; “built for cold”, are we or our homes really prepared for what lays ahead?  Sure, every year we spend hundreds of dollars buying new jackets, boots, mitts and hats for our families so that we are prepared to go out into the cold when we have to; but what about those Saturday mornings when we just want to weather the blizzard inside our cozy home? 

How do we turn this drafty shack into a cozy sanctuary for those occasional Saturday blizzardy mornings when we have no other plans?  Not to mention we are also concerned about those energy bills too, right?  There are quite a few things we can do to stay warm and save a few bucks.

Do you know if you have enough insulation in your attic?  Take a look at your roof on a snowy day.  If it’s not warm and sunny, the snow should not be melting off your roof.  Over time blown in insulation packs down making it less effective.  Getting more insulation blown into the attic is a quick solution if your home’s heat is escaping through the roof. 

Other common problem areas are windows and doors.  While it is not the ideal time of year to replace windows, you can temporarily install plastic window film to get you through the season.  Look at it like a crutch that will get you through the winter, and maybe look into replacing the windows when the snow stops flying.  Though it isn’t ideal some companies do replace windows even in the dead of winter.   The sooner the better.   New Low-E windows will save you literally hundreds of dollars in heating bills and keep you toasty warm.

Weather stripping can be the best investment in fixing a drafty door.  After the wear and tear that we put our doors through on a daily basis, after a few years the exposed weather stripping can become tattered and useless. 

 

For under $50, bit of time and a few simple tools you can keep the cold out and the warmth in.

Stay warm everyone!