"winterizing" the home - ideas?

I am working on keeping our energy bill as low as possible, and with the winter coming I am looking for new ideas. Just in case anyone didn't know, I'm in Minnesota where the nighttime temperatures regularly dip to -20F and CAN go as low as -45F so we're not talking about a bit of a chilly breeze, but serious winter-proofing.

We have a giant sliding-glass-door off the dining room that is so poorly insulated that there is actually a frost-line along the bottom of the sill each winter. And if you put your hand to the crack between the two panels, you can feel the cold air coming in. I was thinking of making a quilted panel to cover that area at night (when I don't need the light to come in) and hang it from a tension rod within the sill-space. Likewise, I was thinking that a second set of nighttime window-quilts might help in our living room windows as well. And I will be making a draft-dodger for our front door.

Does anyone know of other free or VERY inexpensive DIY-style projects to help keep the bills down this winter?
love,
mom

 

I was just looking stuff up on this recently and bookmarked the following:

http://www.thehappyrock.com/2008/09/15/now-is-the-time-to-winterize-your-home/

http://greenhome.swicki.com/Winterize+Windows+Save+Energy/

http://www.servicemagic.com/rfs/resources/media/viewVideo.jsp?vid=9

I believe that I read once that electrical outlet and switch boxes in a house can allow as much cold air in as a small window left open, I think you can get the foam insulation for them for like $.40 each.

 

My advice is to seal off and lock the sliding glass door and cover it with plastic. I do it every year.

You can get a kit at Walmart for about $10. It will save far more money than it costs. you'll need a razor blade to cut the sheet with.

I'd do all the windows too. Makes a huge difference. A little plastic sheeting and double sided tape can keep you much warmer when the cold winds blow.

I also keep a big box fan running in the living room all year. Prevents the air from settling into layers and making your feet cold.

Seal it up. Heat it up. Stir it up.


x

 

Thanks SandalScout! I'll have to go over those & make sure we didn't miss anything obvious.

Xexon, I've tried the plastic that shrink-wraps to the window with a hair dryer. It helped, but not for long. Around mid-January the tape gave way & the plastic curled up leaving a convenient channel for cold air to whoosh into the house. My dad, convinced that we'd done something wrong came over & did it FOR us the next year, and the exact same thing happened. Unfortunately my windows are set in such a way that I can't put it on any of them either, so the door was the only place we COULD put this. More's the pity, my parents swear by the stuff.

We sprung for a new oscillating fan this summer, to keep in the living room. We were able to keep our house 3 degrees warmer this summer, and are hoping to keep the house about 3 degrees cooler (we're hoping 65F won't be too cold with our arthritis) this winter as well with its help.

Oh! And we traded (even swap via Craigslist) our electric "looks pretty but creates no heat" electric fireplace for one that works with gel-fuel, and bought a case of Sunjel. It won't help much, but it'll be a pretty toe-warmer for quiet family nights.
love,
mom

 

I never had too muck luck with the shrink window covering either. Get a staple gun and visqueen, like a heavier 6 mil roll, and go at it around the windows. A little something to seal the plastic doesn't hurt either, like some clear adhesive and a caulk gun. I always keep an eye out for the wool military blankets at surplus shops or yard sales to use for inside window coverings, but any blankets will help for the door and windows.

Your sliding door, if it's not going to be used can be blocked off with that 2" blue foam board. Not really cheap, but they could pay for themselves in a few MN months.

If you can identify air leaks in places a few cans of the "Great Stuff" foam can work wonders.

Bank the snow around the bottom of your house outside when you get enough.

Stuff rolled up bath towels or something at the bottom of normal doors to keep the cold from seeping in under the door.

Close off any rooms you aren't using.

Good luck. I am in the middle of a not so cheap winterization project myself that involves getting rid of a set of those double patio doors and adding insulation.

 

I have had the same problem with the window shrink film. The tape gave way after a couple of weeks.

Like freeinlaaska, we use towels at the bottom of doors, it's amazing how much cold air comes under even the smallest of gaps. We also have thick velvet curtains, and they really keep the cold out from the single glazed windows.

Edit: Oh, over here we were eligible for a grant from the local authority, so we got the loft (attic in the U.S.?) insulated for free!

 

you know, I just thought of something else, maybe something would be available to you?

In Tennessee, a while back, they were offering free "kits" to home owners where there came to your house and audited the efficiency of your home, they used thermal cameras to identify were the most heat was leaking out. I think that the TVA (local mass power provider) was doing it, but don't recall the specifics. Check you state/local website and power company website.