Energy bills can be expensive enough during winter, but having a draft around a door or window can make it harder to keep your home warm.
Luckily, the Weekly Home Check TikTok account (@weeklyhomecheck) has a "simple" tip that will help reduce your heating bills this winter.
@weeklyhomecheck Week 43: Replace Your Door Weather Stripping Keep drafts out and warmth in! Here's how to give your door a simple, energy-saving upgrade: 1. Remove old stripping 2. Clean the surface 3. Measure & cut 4. Apply the new stripping Find the weather stripping I used on my storefronts, linked in my bio. Follow for more home maintenance tips 📩 Sign up to get my weekly home maintenance reminders delivered to your inbox!
♬ original sound - 🏠 Weekly Home Check
The scoop
In a short video, Kyshawn explains that "up to 30% of your home's heat and air could be escaping through tiny gaps around our windows and doors." The easy fix is replacing the weather stripping.
It's not hard to check to see if you have a draft. Just use a leaf blower. Point it in the direction of your door or window, and from the inside, hold up a tissue and see if air is moving it. If it is, you have a draft.
To fix this, first remove the previous weather stripping. Next, clean the frame with alcohol or a cleaning product such as Goo Gone to ensure you can properly place the new stripping. Also, check to see what type of stripping is appropriate. For instance, Kyshawn explains his door has a slit, and this indicates which variety to use.
Kyshawn also noted that you can use a match to check for drafts if you don't have a leaf blower. Just be mindful of curtains or blinds as you hold up the match. If you see the flame flicker, you know you have a draft.
How it's helping
Replacing your weather strips is a simple way to weatherize your home — a practice that can save you almost $300 annually on your energy bills.
Tax rebates and credits are also available for weatherproofing under the Inflation Reduction Act, though it's possible some incentives may be phased out by an act of Congress after President-elect Donald Trump stated his intent to roll back the IRA.
Ultimately, eliminating these troublesome drafts will help your heating work more efficiently, meaning you use less energy.
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According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, a more energy-efficient home also helps reduce the amount of harmful pollution released into the atmosphere. The advocacy organization cited one study that found cutting energy consumption in the U.S. by 15% every year could help save six lives per day and $20 billion in health care costs.
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