Winterize your Apt. How do you do it?

[GhettoPeanut]

So far all I've ever done is the plastic over the windows.

What else can I do?

Got any good insulation tricks to help keep the heating costs down?

Maybe a better plastic I can buy from Home Depot or something? area's I wouldn't think to insulate?

Just looking for ideas preemptively.

Thanks.

 

[Anubis]

are your doors drafty? those things that go under them can help. if you have closets on cold walls they really help there

 

[mcurphy]

Winter is a little ways off yet, lol. Planning ahead eh?

 

[herm0016]

its a little early don't you think? i would check the seals around your doors too, and remember a blanket is cheaper than turning the heat up.

 

[GhettoPeanut]

Winter is a little ways off yet, lol. Planning ahead eh?

Yeah, it just came up in conversation the other day.
I'm in VT, so January and February can be really expensive to heat my new place which is three stories.

One of the things i realized is that i had spent all this money in past years on that cheap crap window plastic, I'm wondering if i should just buy some heavy duty stuff instead of spending 30 bucks every year on crap that just gets thrown out.

 

[BurnItDwn]

set the thermostat lower, 50 is good, will be much cheaper to keep the apartment 50 than to heat it up more than that.

 

[Gibson486]

set the thermostat lower, 50 is good, will be much cheaper to keep the apartment 50 than to heat it up more than that.

50 would be f'n cold dude.....

 

[mcurphy]

Yeah, it just came up in conversation the other day.
I'm in VT, so January and February can be really expensive to heat my new place which is three stories.

One of the things i realized is that i had spent all this money in past years on that cheap crap window plastic, I'm wondering if i should just buy some heavy duty stuff instead of spending 30 bucks every year on crap that just gets thrown out.

I live in WI and Jan and Feb are pretty brutal here as well. My home is over 100 years old, and even though we have new windows throughout the house, it still gets pretty drafty. That is what kills your heat bill.

The best way to reduce your bill is to use the plastic on windows, use blankets at the bottoms of exterior doors, turn on ceiling fans (low) to better circulate the air, and use a programmable thermostat.

You can save 20-30% easily on your bill if your thermostat is set properly. Let your house cool down when sleeping and away, and only have it comfortably warm when you are at home and active. You can even set the thermostat really low and wear some warm clothes inside if you are really desperate to bring the bill down even more.

 

[EagleKeeper]

Calking along the edges of the windows.
Heavier plastic than the 3M stuff around the windows & glass doors.
Cloth drapes on windows and doors
Ensure weather stripping on the outer doors is working. Use a hair dryer on one side and a candle on the other to detects leakage.
Rugs on any wood floors.
On all outlet openings to the outside - ensure that you have a slice of foam around the outlet. (Cable, phone,electrical)

If possible, ensure that the outside walls have insulation.

 

[BurnItDwn]

50 would be f'n cold dude.....

Quite cold.
OP could get pet penguins and they would be comfortable!

 

[Juddog]

I used to live in an apartment with really bad insulation. In order to compensate, here is what I did:

* Thermostat - keep it low. I usually kept ours at 62 degrees, which is about the coldest my wife could stand. Wear a sweater, warm socks etc. to keep warm throughout the day. Buy a nice thick blanket to throw on top of your other blankets for when you are sleeping.
* Window covers - make sure they are extra tight using the blowdrying method to get out any crinkles. One kind isn't better than the other as far as I can tell; the main important thing is keeping the seal tight.
* Under door draft protection. They slip under the bottom of the door and form a barrier on each side. These helped quite a bit more than I had expected in keeping out the draft.
* Heavy curtains on the windows. Many department stores will have heavier curtains you can buy which help better to keep out the draft. Keep them open in the day to let in sunlight, closed at night.
* Baking - best time of year to work on your baking skills. Warms up and feeds you at the same time - it's a win / win.
* Computers. When it's nice and chilly makes an excellent time to overclock your computer and stress test. Given that I have a server running 24/7 in the winter months, my room rarely gets cold even with the thermostat set on low.

 

[GhettoPeanut]

Think it'd be worth it to seal the outside and the inside of the windows with the heat shrink plastic? can't hurt right?

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

Several cans of foam insulation. Use around pipes, outlets and, pry the molding off from around the door and spray around the jam.

 

[Colt45]

It gets down to -40 or worse here, and we do.. nothing.

you can get them argon stuffed windows, and seal any cracks.

 

[MotionMan]

Move your apartment to Southern California.

MotionMan

 

[Numenorean]

I open the windows so I can let some nice cold air in.

WTF "winterize" your apartment? WTF do you need to "winterize" it for? Fucking pansy.

 

[shopbruin]

I pull out my "winter" PJ's. That's about it. Maybe another blanket...

 

[waggy]

we get heavy plastic and seal the windows. turn the heat down as much as we can stand it.

i do need ot redo the back door. the storm door fell off in a storm and i need to put it back on.

 

[lxskllr]

I don't worry about it. I like drafts. It allows the house to breath, and it smells good. I set my heat to about 56F, and wear winter clothes. It's all good, and my heating bills are reasonable.

 

[edro]

Stretch plastic over all windows helps a TON.
Using area rugs helps some, but mainly just the feeling of cold, not the actual ambient temperature.
Those little oil filled electric heaters work well if you mainly stay in 1 room.

 

[MotionMan]

the storm door fell off in a storm

Is that how they got their name?

MotionMan