What are you doing to winterize your place?

**Thevail** · 10-03-2009, 01:19 AM

The title says it all. What are you doing to prepare for old man winter's arrival?

**Wendy Mack** · 10-03-2009, 01:49 AM

Well I have gotten a roll of insulation.. i have a door that faces the highway that isn't used much and in winter not at all its bad and leaks air. So I usually plastic it but its still really cold, soooo I bought a roll of insulation and going to stuff that in the door then put plastic over it to help keep the cold out!!! Then I am making some thicker curtians for winter use. I have a rubbermaid tote full of fabric thought I would put it to good use and help keep the cold out!

**Nana2two** · 10-03-2009, 04:16 AM

Well im going to go and get some $3 flat sheets at walmart, (hated but the cheapest.we do put plastic up so i will hang a quilt up and then use flat sheets has the curtain itself.I have ocd so things have to match,cost me $35 total but saves hundreds,,

**Sassyclass** · 10-03-2009, 07:19 AM

We already put plastic around our back porch. The sun hits this during the winter and sometimes heats the porch up to 80 degrees. When that happens the back door gets left open to help heat the inside. We still have to take the air conditioner out and then put plastic up to inside windows. We also bought 2 rolls of Duck tape and I'm going to tape as many of the holes in the skirting as I can. I don't care how ugly it looks, the heating bill looks uglier without doing this. We also have to plug the heat tape in for the pipes. Ahh the joys of living in an old mobile home.

Cat

**2ndGenGranola** · 10-03-2009, 07:51 AM

We are getting new windows for the upstairs. I'm hoping I don't have to cover these with plastic. I've taken my solar curtains down from the sunroom and it is heating up nicely now. We open the back door and the heat flows into our dining room (that was once the coldest room in the winter before the sunroom).

**ravenmaniac** · 10-03-2009, 07:58 AM

All these are great ideas. In 2008 when the tree fell on our house we had to replace some windows. Fortunately our contractor got us a super deal and replaced all 9 windows upstairs instead of just the 5 that were broken. We have some money set aside to replace the front door. It is a 23 year-old steel door that is falling apart. Replacing the drafty door will make a big difference.

**ladytoysdream** · 10-03-2009, 08:19 AM

We did our major upgrade 3.5 yrs ago. We added the new room, the outside deck/porch, all new roof shingles, all new siding ( texture 1-11), some insulation, and all new windows -- the entire house. Does not look like a double wide anymore.
Last September we put in the outside wood furnace. We can now keep the house at 75 instead of the 68 when we only used propance for heat.
Had the propane company take the 500 gallon tank out of here the first part of April this year. We then bought new, two 100 pound ( 24 gallon ) tanks for the propane kitchen stove. Will get at least 6 months + out of each tank. We just had the second tank filled so it will be ready to go when the first tank runs out. And we do have our winter wood pile in place. We bought the tri axle load of logs back in February with some of his OT money. We figure $ 600 a year for wood, versus at least $ 1200 plus for propane. We were using 500 gallons of propane a year. Current price this year is higher again than the previous winter. I told the hubby I refused to be held hostage by the propane company's prices.

I think some of our planning ahead has rubbed off on the kids. Two of the sons have pellet stoves, and are getting pellets early this season. My second son was buying only enough for a week at a time last winter. His main heat is fuel oil, and he is working on getting the first tank filled.
The youngest son who has the pellet stove, put in a outside wood furnace last year. So that is working good for him also. My oldest son now heats with coal.
I think we got through to them, not to have only, the one source of heat, the fuel oil. Prices were high last winter, and a fill on a tank was almost $ 1000 and that had to be paid up front.
Also my husband's parents went to a outside wood furnace last fall. They had been using 6 tanks of fuel oil a year. Total $ 6000. They too are very happy with the wood heat. House is a lot warmer for a lot less money.

**ravenmaniac** · 10-03-2009, 08:59 AM

Wow, you did a lot of smart renovations. Of course our roof was replaced and all the siding. We had our house wrapped in that foam board stuff under the siding. Can't think of the name of it right now. Adding extra insulation to the attic is next, we are pricing it now. The whole central air/central heating system had to be replaced because the tree fell on it too. We have a wood stove. My husband and his friend have several friends who let them come on their property and cut up down fallen trees. The property they hunt also offers the same opportunities to cut wood. So far all our wood has been free. My husband has not had to go look for wood, it is offered to him. I agree there is nothing like warm wood heat. We keep a cast iron kettle on the stove full of water to keep moisture in the air.

**tigo** · 10-03-2009, 09:00 AM

We did a few big things last year so this year we are focusing more on small things. I need to caulk cracks and repair some spots (wood siding). Will be swiching out screens for glass on storm doors and putting up shrink wrap on the windoe=ws. I have been buying the insulated curtains one by one as the budget allows too.

**Brat** · 10-03-2009, 09:06 AM

Don't have the wood this year to will have to find other ways to save on heat. Dh wasn't able to cut his year so will have to do with what we have. I have already washed and put up window quilt on west side, and have new curtians up in Kitchen. They are insulated. (Quilted). Haven't had the money to fill LP tank yet but hope to before the end of the year.

I have both freezers full of food and pantry stocked so should be good to go there.

I got the corn in for the birds,rabbits, and the like so if necessary can go out the back door and bag a rabbit to eat.

I still have some caulking to get done on the outside before the snow flys and hope to get to that this week.

**Holding Pattern** · 10-03-2009, 09:33 AM

Insulating the garage & putting additional in the ceilings. May plastic a window or two, and putting windjammers inside all of the outlets and using plastic childproof caps on unused outlets.

**frugalwarrior** · 10-03-2009, 10:47 AM

-vaccumned the furnace and put in new filter
-replaced water filter and will run sytem and fill w/ salt (buy bags of salt for 2 more x.
-plastic all windows
-plastic xtra doors
-pick up stuff in back yard and store tables and tilt picnic table up
-put kayaks up on small deck w/ drop cloth
-Fill pantry to the rafters (just spent 2 1/2 weeks reveiwing food and putting in new shelves
-clean and sort 2 freezers
-pull out space heaters
-prep lawn mowers for winter
-test and prime gererators (new oil/gas mix)
-get in any last minute painting I can
-stock up on cat,dog food and salt and cat litter (cannot haul in a snowstorm)
-prep cars-repairs,tires check,oil changed,clean out,new wiper blades
-get all pets vaccinated ( cats do not travel well in Jan. here)
-wash all winter clothes and put away summer in tubs
-check condition of snow shovels,salt stock/deicer stock,buy snow rake
-wash up quilts to put over plastic on windows
-cleaned furnace humidifier
-cleaning out extra clutter to make life easier indoors
-praying our old furnace has got one more year in it.
I know you meant literally house but I do household.

**cab54** · 10-03-2009, 12:16 PM

This summer we installed a device to recharge the generator, so that we can live off the 'charge' (I don't know how it works, really

) producing electricity, and then have more gas left to put toward heat. That is going to save us a ton, and we'll be warmer.

DH is chopping wood, so we don't have to use the heaters much anyway. I can use the wood stove to heat/cook food too.

DH has been avidly mouse-proofing. We put those noise makers in the crawl space and clogged up all the places we know they get in. We also read that they hate peppermint, so we are putting Peppermint oil on cotton balls in corners, etc. DH is putting animal urine pellets all around the outside of the house to scare them off. (that should smell nice, eww)

I have been stockiling like crazy since May. We may not be able to get to a store, except by snowmobile, and i hate snomoblies.

**shoiji** · 10-03-2009, 01:23 PM

Yesterday was cold so I put an insulated curtain up where the front door is. I upgraded from the white blanket from last year. Tomorrow I am planning on putting the water heater blanket on. The blanket has litteraly been sitting in the same place for the past year waiting to go on the heater. Will also fill in the crack that is at the front door. Once the blankets are cleaned will hang them behind my curtains in the living room.

Still need to clean the windows before pulling the storm windows down. Also need to clean the duvet covers for my down comforters and get them on my bed and sofa. Yup, kitty is going to be happy with all the new warm places to sleep.

**C@rol** · 10-03-2009, 01:47 PM

Ironed and hung the thermal drapes up last night.
All the windows were put in a few years ago and work really well. Will work on getting the car winterized next.