Easy Ways to Stop Window Drafts

Simply put, drafts in your home are a nuisance. Windows are an extremely common source of drafts, but that doesn’t mean you have to live with drafts. The only things window drafts are good for are making your home uncomfortable and driving up your energy bills. If your windows are simply old, your best bet might be to replace them with something more energy efficient, like vinyl replacement windows. But if your windows aren’t very old, there are plenty of other things you can do to get rid of drafts without completely replacing them.

Looks for Signs of Damage

In many cases, drafts are caused by damage to the window. If your window has cracked glass or isn’t able to shut properly, having your window repaired may solve the problem.

Add Caulking

Caulk plays an important role in preventing drafts around windows, but over time, it can become brittle and fall out of place. If this seems to be the case, removing the old caulk and replacing it is a pretty easy and inexpensive task. All you need to do is remove the existing caulk, clean the area where you will be applying new caulk, and apply the caulk according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Weatherstripping

Adding weatherstripping to a window is another easy, inexpensive, but highly effective way to put an end to drafts. You can find weatherstripping at any hardware store and you’ll be able to install it in a matter of minutes. Just be sure to inspect your weatherstripping once or twice throughout the year to make sure it hasn’t gotten worn down because worn weatherstripping won’t be able to protect your home as effectively as it ought to.

Window Coverings

Window coverings don’t just help you add privacy or control the amount of natural light a room gets. Certain types of window coverings can also help keep rooms warmer. Things like honeycomb shades, insulated or quilted curtains, and other types of curtains made of heavy materials can all help shield you from drafts and keep rooms warmer.

Draft Snakes

Need a quick, temporary fix for a drafty window? If you can feel the draft along the bottom of the window, where the pane meets the window sill, a draft snake will do the trick. All you have to do is put it in front of the draft. You can buy ready-made draft snakes, or you can make your own by simply sewing a tube of fabric, filling it with uncooked rice, and sewing it shut. It won’t be a permanent solution, but it will at least help make your home more comfortable until you’re able to fix the problem for good.

Make a Decorative Statement With Ceiling Colors

There’s no shortage of ways you can add color to a room. You can paint the walls, buy some colorful furniture, find an eye-catching rug, shop around for some unique accessories, or find some beautiful curtains, just to name a few. But one often overlooked way to add color to a room is by adding color to the ceiling.

Many homeowners choose to leave their ceilings painted a matte white, but there certainly aren’t any decorating rules saying that ceilings should only be white. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with white ceilings; there are plenty of good reasons why they’re so popular. But painting your ceiling another color is certainly an option worth considering. Painting a ceiling a different color can look very stylish and help give a room a completely new look. Here are a few ideas for how to use color on your ceiling.

Accent Ceiling

When people decide to redecorate a room, they’ll often paint one wall a different color to serve as an accent wall. But instead of creating an accent wall, why not have an accent ceiling? If you have pale walls, painting the ceiling a bold, vibrant color can be a great way to add visual interest to a room. You could even paint your ceiling the same color as an accent wall to create a longer stretch of color.

Adjust the Size of a Room

Painting your ceiling obviously won’t physically alter the height or size of a room, but color can be used to create the illusion of a room being larger or smaller than it actually is. One reason why white is such a popular ceiling color is because it can make rooms seem taller, but other light colors can have the same effect. Rooms with very tall ceilings can feel a bit imposing, so if you wanted to make a room feel smaller and more intimate, painting the ceiling a dark color will help make the ceiling feel lower. Painting your walls and ceiling the same color is another way to help make a large space feel a little cozier.

Use Contrasting Moulding to Add Definition

Many decorators love the idea of painting ceilings and walls the same color or painting the ceiling a couple of shades lighter or darker than the walls. This can look very stylish, but if you want to create a little bit of definition between ceilings and walls, adding some moulding along the top of the walls in a contrasting color is a perfect way to go about it.

Bring Attention to Architectural Features

If your ceiling has unique architectural features like planks beams, you could use color to help highlight them. You could paint beams and the rest of your ceiling a color that contrasts from your walls, or you could just paint the areas behind the beams so that the beams themselves can stand out.

Choosing the Right Type of Flooring for Your Home

Replacing the flooring in your home is a big decision. It’s a significant project that makes a big difference in your home and is something that will be part of your home for years to come, so it’s only natural to want to be completely sure you’re making the right decision. As you look around for your new flooring, you’ll have many different options to choose from, but how do you know you’re making the right choice? Here are a few of the most important things to keep in mind.

Practicality

There are a lot of excellent types of flooring out there, but not all of them may right for your room. Before you start shopping around for new flooring, consider the environment of the area; things like how much time people spend in the room and the things people do in the room. This will help you figure out which type of flooring would work best for you.

Rooms like kitchens, bathrooms, and basements can get pretty humid, so hardwood wouldn’t be the best choice for those areas since wood can warp. Flooring for rooms where people spend a lot of time needs to be durable enough to hold up well over time. If it’s a room where people tend to do a lot of standing, such as a kitchen, remember that certain types of flooring are more comfortable to stand on than others. Does your family tend to make a lot of noise? Carpeting and cork will help keep sound levels under control.

Price

Most of us don’t have unlimited amounts of money to spend on home improvement projects, so of course, it’s important to find an option that will fit your budget. Many people don’t have the budget for marble or natural hardwood flooring, but the good news is that there are many alternatives out there that are are both high quality and affordable. Love the look of hardwood floors? If 100% natural hardwood floors are out of your budget, laminate or engineered wood flooring can help you get the look for a fraction of the cost.  

Maintenance

How much time are you willing to spend taking care of your new flooring? Various types of flooring require varying levels of maintenance. If you want a truly maintenance-free option, you may want to consider a concrete floor. Cork floors can naturally heal themselves if something gets dropped on them, but should be resealed every couple of years to avoid water damage. Vinyl, linoleum, and ceramic flooring are also very easy to clean.

Environment

If you try to live an eco-friendly lifestyle, you’ll definitely want to look for an environmentally friendly flooring option. You’re in luck, because there are quite a few different green options for flooring out there. Cork, linoleum, bamboo, and sustainably-sourced natural hardwood flooring all make stylish and durable flooring options.

3 Ways You Can Save Money With Vinyl Replacement Windows

Vinyl replacement windows are an excellent investment in your home. They’ll help make your home more comfortable and if you’re getting ready to sell your home, they have a great return on investment. But unlike many other types of home improvement projects, getting vinyl replacement windows can also help you save money.

Replacing your windows naturally involves an upfront cost and it might seem counter-intuitive to spend money to save money. So how exactly do vinyl replacement windows help you save money in the long run?

Lower Energy Bills

By replacing your windows, your energy bills are the main place you’ll see savings. In fact, one of the most common reasons why people decide to get vinyl replacement windows is because they want to reduce their energy bills and make their home more energy efficient. By getting rid of old windows that have become drafty, you’ll be eliminating a major source of heat loss in your home. Your heating and cooling bills will go down since you won’t have to keep adjusting the thermostat to compensate for the heat/cool air you’re losing through your windows.

Modern vinyl windows are also designed for energy efficiency. The fact that they are made of vinyl means they are not a good conductor of heat, so you won’t have to worry about your window frames conducting heat out of your home the way aluminum windows would. If your replacement windows have glass with a low-E coating, that will reflect heat back toward its source, helping to keep your cool in the summer and warm in the winter. New double pane windows are also insulated with argon to further prevent heat loss.

Less Damage to Your Home and Belongings

There are a couple different ways old windows could damage your home and your belongings. First of all, if a window is so worn out that water leaks in when it rains, you’ve got a potential source of water damage. Even just a little bit of water damage can very quickly turn into a much bigger, more expensive problem, so it’s extremely important that any source of potential water damage be remedied as soon as possible.

Also, if your old windows don’t have glass with UV protection, replacing them with new windows that do will help prevent your belongings from becoming faded over time because of exposure to the sun, saving you the trouble (and the expense) of having to replace them.

Less Maintenance

By far, one of the best things about vinyl replacement windows is that they’re very low maintenance. Not only does this save you time, it means you’re not going to have to go out and buy special products to care for them. They can easily be cleaned with ordinary water and dish soap that you very likely already have around the house. And unlike wood windows, vinyl windows don’t need to be painted or stained, so there's another thing you won't have to spend money on. 

How to Fix Common Problems With Your Gutters

No homeowner ever wants to deal with water damage. Even a fairly small amount of water can cause very expensive problems. If you want to avoid ever having to deal with home water damage, one of the best things you can do is take good care of your gutters. Since gutters are intended to direct water away from your home’s foundation, they’re an important line of defense against water damage.

To keep your gutters in good shape, the best thing you can do is have them cleaned at least once a year, or twice if there are a lot of trees near your home. But if you’re noticing other problems with your gutters, what can you do to fix them?

Gutters That Pull Away From Your Home

Added weight from clogged gutters often causes the gutters to sag or pull away from your home, but it’s not the only thing that can cause this to happen. This can also happen if your gutters aren’t being supported by enough hangers/fasteners or if the hangers/fasteners attaching them to your home have become worn over time. New gutter hangers and fasteners can be purchased very inexpensively from any hardware store.

Improperly Pitched Gutters

If you’re not seeing much water coming out of your downspout during a rainfall or see standing water in your gutters, your gutters are not pitched correctly and their placement needs to be adjusted. Gutters that have been installed correctly should slope down toward the downspout a quarter of an inch for every ten feet they run. If this isn’t taken care of, the standing water can cause gutters to rust through and cause leaks. Many homeowners prefer to hire a professional to reposition their gutters, but you can absolutely do it yourself. All you have to do is measure the slope from the peak to the downspout, use chalk to outline how your gutters should slope, and adjust your gutters accordingly.

Gutters That Leak

A gutter that leaks is an extremely easy problem to solve. If water is leaking from a joint in your gutters, all you need is some silicone-rubber caulk to fill in the gap. Small holes can be patched up with roofing cement or gutter sealant. If you have a larger hole, you’ll need to patch it up with a piece of metal. Gutter patching kits are very easy to find at hardware stores, but you can also use a piece of metal flashing to patch up the hole.

Downspouts Draining Too Close to Foundation

Downspouts should be set to drain water a few feet away from your home’s foundation to prevent flooding and other water damage. If your downspouts are too close to your home, all you have to do is get some downspout extenders. They’re inexpensive, easy to install, and can easily help you prevent thousands of dollars in water damage.