Although you live in a desert and are treated with generally mild weather conditions during the winter, the weather still can be cold and drafty with winter winds blowing often and the temperatures at times dipping into the 20s and sometimes the teens. When that happens, your home can become an especially cold place with heating bills spiking to rates that can exceed summer cooling costs. Among of the biggest sources of heat reduction are your windows, which can turn into cooling mechanism during the winter and make your home a lot colder than necessary. Fortunately, there are steps you can take that will help keep your windows from turning into ice boxes on cold nights and even help to keep your home cooler during the summer.
Curtains, Shades and Film Treatments Prevent Drafts
Among the best ways to trap either heat or cold air and stop it from entering your home is to hang heavy, layered curtains over them and reduce the effects of outdoor temperature changes. Curtains with heavy blackout material combined with a thick material will prevent cold drafts from penetrating past your windows and help to keep your home warm in the winter. Cellular shades also help to keep your windows insulated while still providing a good source of light. Cellular shades generally are made of a type of durable plastic or nylon and are custom fit to your windows, which makes them costlier but very effective. For a more reasonably priced and temporary solution that allows light to enter but not cold drafts, plastic window treatments work well and can be used all year when also wanting to keep cool air indoors during the summertime.
Reducing Drafts Helps Greatly
Other items that can cut down on drafts and don’t cost a great deal are weather stripping and window snakes. Weather stripping applies easily with an adhesive backing and create airtight seals. Window snakes are long, insulated rolls of fabric that you lay along the lower edges of your windows to block any drafts. When taking the proper steps, you keep your heating and cooling costs lower while also protecting your windows from condensation and frost damage.
What do you do to protect your windows and home from winter drafts?