WINTERIZING Use tips to keep cold air outside

Weather stripping and caulk can go a long way in preventing drafts from making your house chilly.
By GARY DYMSKI
LONG ISLAND NEWSDAY
If your home was uncomfortably chilly last year, dozens of culprits probably are to blame. Call them comfort thieves, tiny openings that allow cold air inside, and at the same time, cause your furnace to work harder. So winterize: Tighten, wrap, fill and cover those openings. You'll be warmer and probably save money, too.
Plenty of inexpensive winterizing products, including window coverings, caulks and insulating foam, are available at home centers and hardware stores; using them as part of a winterizing plan can substantially reduce your winter fuel bill. Other energy-saving steps include blocking drafty areas, lowering thermostats when homes are vacant and covering hot-water pipes.
It's foolish not to winterize because it's so easy, virtually anyone can do it.
What to do
The first step is to find those drafty areas. Running the palm of your hand over exterior door jambs, window frames and fireplace surrounds will reveal tiny cracks that allow cold air inside. Another way to check for them is to slowly run a lighted candle close to the same areas. When the flame flickers, stop. You've found a draft. Test exterior door jambs at night with a partner and a flashlight. With the door closed, have your partner outside slowly run the beam from a flashlight around the door frame. While you're standing inside, look for openings that let light shine through.
To seal them, use weather stripping and caulk. If the light shines through the door jamb where the edges of the door close, use foam weather stripping for a tighter seal. Weather stripping is rolled like tape, and the sticky side is applied against the door jamb. Cut to fit with a utility knife or scissors.
Before applying the new foam, remove old worn weather stripping and wipe dirt and grime from the jamb to create a clean surface for adhesion.
Recaulk to seal leaks around the door frame, where the exterior door molding meets siding or brick. For a clean job, remove as much of the old caulk as possible using a utility knife and a putty knife. Once old caulk and debris have been removed, apply the new caulk. If applying caulk is a frightening task, try using masking tape to create a caulk line to follow. Tape along both sides of the opening to create a space no more than 1/8 inch wide.
Slowly squeeze the caulk into the opening. Try to move the caulk gun or caulk tube so an even amount is applied. Work top to bottom and left to right. Once the areas are filled, moisten your index finger and slowly run it across the caulk line, applying light pressure to "finish" the bead. When the caulk is nearly dry, peel off the tape to create a neat line.
To seal larger openings, make caulking a two-step job. Squeeze some caulk into bigger openings before applying the tape. Let this caulk dry, then apply the bead of caulk as described. Another way to seal big openings, especially those created by pipes, vents and room air-conditioners installed in walls, is insulating foam. When released from its container, the foam has the consistency of shaving cream. It dries to a rigid foam that can be trimmed with a utility knife if it seeps into unwanted areas.
Window seals, kits
Larger openings, like windows, can be a major source of heat loss. The older the window, the less likely it is to provide energy efficiency. If your windows rattle in the wind, chances are you're losing lots of warm air during a heating season. Two ways to minimize the energy loss are window seals and window insulator kits.
Installing foam weather stripping on the inside of window wells, just like on the inside of a door jamb, can help. To seal a window glass and frame, try WindJammer, a clear, peel-away product by the makers of Liquid Nails. WindJammer is applied right from its tube -- like caulk -- around the window and frame. After the season, the dried seal peels away and can be discarded.
Insulator kits made by the Duck brand of home products offer a layer of plastic that fits tightly around the window frame. The kits are around $15 a box, which contains covering for up to five windows. Kits are made for interior or exterior application and include tape and plastic film, which can be cut with a utility knife. On interior applications, the plastic film is shrunk to fit with a hair dryer.