I love my landlord, but he is too thrifty. For just $80.00, he could have stopped up the vent holes in the units the right way. Instead, he had the maintenance man stuff them with wadded newspaper.
Not only does that not work, but the first rain ruined what it did do.
Since I can't drive my car right now, I had to fix it with what I had at the house. That is where my meat trays, millions of plastic bags and some discarded bricks came in handy.
I stuffed some bags into a single bag, then poked a hole in the front so I could compress the bag without it ballooning up. The air escaped and it molded in nicely. Then, I had to trim off the top 1/2 inch or so of each long way on the tray. Then, I simply placed it under the lip of the siding, snuggled it in, and put a brick on it to keep it in place.
Note: This is makeshift for a reason. It's a stop gap between what was done and what should be done. To save $10.00 per four plex, we are all paying more for heat.
Being a diabetic, my circulation is critical and when the floors are cold, it doesn't help. So, my disclaimer is that while this is all I can do, it's not how it should be done.
By Sandi/Poor But Proud from Salem, OR
This page contains the following solutions.
Shut off water systems by turning off the pump or shutting the valve if on city water. Drain the pressure tank...
If you have an older home, consider having it insulated. There are several programs available to help with this, but if you do not qualify for them, it is still something that can be done for a reasonable price and it is an excellent way to save energy. By Robin
One of the quickest, best ways to save money is to weather-strip, caulk, and seal all of the seams and cracks in your home. Reducing air leaks can save you 10% of more on energy costs. By Robin
You can weatherstrip your doors even if you're not an experienced handyman. There are several types of weatherstripping for doors, each with its own level of effectiveness, durability and degree of installation difficulty.
One of the best ways to prepare a home for the winter weather and high energy costs is to take time now, before winter arrives, to do some simple home maintenance.
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
I have a 1/2 French door (only one side opens) going out to my back porch. I would like to have ideas on how to eliminate air coming in around it. I have tried weather stripping, but it falls off or the dogs tear it away from the side.
By nonniebeth from Rome, GA
You could try hanging a heavy curtain or blinds over the part of the window where the air comes in. Or You can put some foil or clear, wide packing tape over the drafty areas high enough so the dogs can't reach it.
There is a metal (copper usually) weather stripping that is flared or 'v' shaped so the flared part is compressed to the existing width when the door is shut. It has no vinyl or foam and it nails to the opening which eliminates the tear off as you walk by. It is the best weather strip I have found.
When weatherizing windows is it best to put plastic on the inside or outside of the house?
TJ from Murphysboro, Illinois
3M has wonderful kits you can buy that double back tape the plastic to the inside, then literally "shrink wrap" the plastic to the window with a hair dryer!
If you put them on the outsides, be sure and use thick strips of cardboard or thin molding. Wrap the plastic several times around the trim that you choose and staple or tack to the frame. This will keep the plastic from splitting in the wind.
Shower curtains from the dollar tree are a cheap source of plastic for smaller windows, as you can often double up on the thickness.
Also, Walmart has rolls of 60" wide plastic in varying thicknesses, that you roll out how many feet you want the they cut it for you. It's in the craft/fabric section.
Keep in mind that most of your heat loss will go through your windows. But insulation in the attic is even more important, since heat rises. Another thing that will keep your feet warmer and your pocketbook fatter is to block any crawl space vents with the styrofoam blocks. If you can't afford them, block them with wadded fiberglass (gloves!!) insulation, very small packing peanuts in double bags sealed really tight and then block them with a board and a cinderblock.
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