Preparing your home for fall is more than just cleaning up and getting your jackets out of storage. If you want to make sure your home is ready to stay warm during the chillier months, now would be the time to take action and consider making a few renovations and investments for your home to help keep utility costs down and make sure your family stays comfortable. Inspect your windows A lot of heat can escape through drafty, improperly-fitting windows. Caulking around the windows is one way to seal air leaks. However, replacing old windows with energy efficient windows is a better alternative. Not only will your new windows help keep air in, statistics show that you get a significant return on your investment with replacement windows, and new windows are an easy way to improve the appearance of your home.
Window treatments Insulated or thermal curtains serve a dual purpose in your home. Not only are they an attractive window treatment, they also help keep the room warm and cozy. Interior shutters have become a popular window treatment. They add an element of sophistication to the decor and provide extra insulation in a room. One of your fall projects should be to purchase and install new, energy-saving window treatments in your home.
Rugs Rugs provide some additional insulation in a room. If you aren't currently using rugs in your decor, adding them to your home can make it warmer and cozier when the temperatures drop. If you have rugs that have been in place for quite some time, cleaning those rugs should be on your fall project list. Pets, kids and visitors can track in a lot of dirt over the summer months. You don't want that embedded dust and dirt to remain in the rugs through the fall and winter and cause illness or allergies.
Supplemental heat After you've taken steps such as those previously mentioned, you might still be looking for ways to keep your home warm without breaking the budget. Adding a supplemental heat source such as a free-standing fireplace would warm up and beautify any area of your home.
Doors A lot of cold air can enter and warm air escape through an improperly-fitting door. Adding weather-stripping or caulking around the door can help stop air leaks. Decorative draft dodgers can be somewhat helpful in stopping air leaks. For the most effectiveness, you might want to replace your current door with a new door when you have your vinyl windows installed.
