It’s raining and chilly outside as I write this, and although I know there are still some upcoming, beautiful fall days to enjoy outside, I can already feel the wind seeping in through the nooks and crannies of my house.
I can only imagine what it’s like for some of the older homes out there — painted ladies, historical homes, and other vintage places, all with their original windows still intact.
If you want your house to be cozy and warm this winter, you’ll need to seal up your house. Because not only do I not like to be cold, I also don’t want to waste energy or pay more in heating bills.
Take time to winterize your house now, before the elements really start setting in. At Colandrea Ace Hardware in Elmwood Park, they’re already prepped and ready to go with supplies for sale.
“I got a little bit of everything,” said the store’s owner, Larry Colandrea.
Weather stripping for windows and doors is the fastest and simplest way to tighten up your house, and the store has kits for both. Foam tape for door stops, which keeps air from coming in, are also available, as are sweeps and thresholds for under the door.
“It just depends on your specific need,” said Colandrea. “In this older neighborhood, every house is unique.”
Do you have a wood or metal door? How handy are you? Those are questions to ask yourself before deciding what type of winterizing would work best for you, Colandrea said.
“I’ve got really anything you would need to do,” Colandrea said. “I can help you.”
There are issues outside to consider, too. Colandrea recommends expanding foam to fill in holes and cracks on the outside of foundations.
“All the products keep air from coming in, especially in the old bungalows and old homes’ cracks and crevices,” Colandrea said.
Need a little something to put over your rose bush and garden spigot so they don’t freeze? Colandrea has it. He’s also got plenty of the old standby — plastic — to put over your windows, keeping drafts to a minimum.
If you’re a procrastinator like me, you probably aren’t even thinking about winterizing yet. But better to do it sooner rather than later, when you’re likely to get stuck out in the cold.
“People don’t normally do it until they have to,” said Colandrea. But when it’s time for the heat to go on, “People come out of the woodwork,” he said.
Felicia Dechter is a freelance columnist for Pioneer Press. Got a real estate-related story idea? Email her at [email protected].
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