INDIANAPOLIS — Winter is far from over in Indiana, which means your house is going to go through some cold nights and your furnace is going to get a few more heavy workouts in the coming weeks.
Pat Sullivan from Sullivan Hardware and Garden said on 13Sunrise that homeowners have multiple solutions available to them to keep cold air out and warm air in.
The first place to check, Sullivan said, is all the windows in your home. Make sure they are closed and locked to seal out cold air.
Exterior doors will shrink slightly in cold weather, leaving gaps around their edges where air can seep in and out. Sullivan said weather strip tape can help seal those cracks, but if you open and close that door on a regular basis, try a weather strip that adheres or screws onto the bottom of the door to help cut down heat loss.
You can also use a double draft stop to keep cold air from coming in underneath a door. If you don't have that kit, no sweat. You can also stuff a towel underneath the door to keep cold air out.
Window kits that use shrink film have been around since the 1970s when portable hair dryers gained popularity. "You put the two-sided tape around the perimeter," Sullivan explained, then apply the plastic film. "You pull it as tight as you can get it, but it doesn't have to certainly be perfect."
Then you spray the film with a heat source, like a hair dryer, and it shrinks around the edges of the window to form an air-tight seal.
Watch Sullivan's full 13Sunrise segment in the video player.