Winter is officially here in the Washington, DC area, and your heating systems are most likely working at their peak. But are you doing everything you can to keep all that heat inside your home? There are a surprising amount of ways that heat can escape, ramping up your energy bills and leaving you chilly. Check your home to make sure you’re keeping as much heat as you can inside your home.

Cover Your Fireplace

Many Maryland and Virginia families like having a fire in the fireplace to keep cozy at night. While it’s great to have that warmth on your face, it actually may be leaking more heat than it’s giving off. A fire needs oxygen to breathe and pulls this oxygen from the cold air outside of the chimney. Then the gases that rise off the fireplace and out the flue take most of the heat with it. You can prevent cold air from coming down the chimney when the fireplace isn’t being used by closing the flue or using an inflatable chimney plug.

Check Your Siding

Your siding can actually be costing you lots of lost heating dollars. With most siding you have a small amount of space between the siding and the house where snow and rain can get inside if not properly sealed. Mildew, mold, and small animals looking for a toasty nest are only a few problems that can cause your siding to weaken or develop cracks. Inspect your siding and look for holes, dents, and areas that may be easy for critters to crawl through. Have a professional make repairs to your siding to help make sure you aren’t losing any heat through your siding.

Look for Gaps in Your Walls Where Heat Escapes

There are tons of tricky places you may not think of that let your home lose heat. Check for gaps in the insulation and where the outside meets the inside, like where the dryer vent attaches to your outside wall and where your ceiling fan attaches to the roof. Also inspect where your plumbing ventures outdoors because that is a prime spot to be resealed over time.

Replace Your Windows to Keep Heat In

There are a lot of older homes in the Washington, DC area, and it’s pretty common for older homes to have single-pane window glass. When warm air hits cold glass, it cools down, and the result is heat loss. Single-pane glass and poorly fitting window covers can add to this effect, so it’s recommended that you upgrade your windows and save money on your heating bill.

Transitioning from single-pane to double-pane can lower your heating costs immensely and keep your rooms nice and toasty. If you need a quick fix, sturdy window coverings or curtains can make a world of difference by keeping the warm air from making contact with the cold glass.

Be Mindful of Open or Drafty Doors

Open or drafty doors let out a large amount of heat, so make sure you and your guests close all doors and place door stoppers in front of doors that allow heat to come in underneath.

Need a Home Improvement Company Serving Maryland, DC & Northern Virginia?

If you need a home improvement company in the Washington, DC metropolitan area, look to the team at Shanco Companies. We provide a variety of exterior home services and can help you get your home ready for the winter so you can have peace of mind—we want you to stay as warm as possible this winter! Contact us today to learn more about our services or to schedule an appointment with one of our experienced professionals.