With the high demand and low supply of heat energy in the winter, it is necessary to reduce your heating costs in order to save resources. Saving means cutting down many costs that are usually incurred during this time, while adopting various activities that minimize such costs. Below are various ways of saving on winter heating costs in order to save resources. Saving means cutting down many costs that are usually incurred during this time, while adopting various activities that minimize such costs. Below are various ways of saving on winter heating costs.

6 Clever Ways to Save on Winter Heating Costs

1. Save your Winter Heating Costs: Eliminate Energy Waste

Saving winter heating bills can be easier than you think with activities such as switching off lamps in unoccupied rooms, unplugging any free refrigerator that is not highly required etc. By doing this, one will have acquired relatively convenient ways reducing any extra injections into your monthly electric bills. Switching off kitchen and bath ventilating supporters after they’ve done their job can as well blow out a house-full of warmed air if accidentally kept on. Keep fireplace damper sealed unless flames are burning to avoid up to 8% of your furnace-heated air from increasing in the chimney.

2. Water Conservation: Take Shorter Showers

This can be achieved simply by minimizing that lingering time hence saving huge amounts of gallons of warm water monthly for the family. Showers take into account 2/3 of your normal water heating costs. Water conservation is extremely important and can help in your heating costs. Reducing your showers in two will certainly reduce the water heating costs by about 33%.

3. Energy Efficient Homes should use Appliances Proficiently

You can decide to use home appliances fully only when working with your clothes and dishwashers. Use the cool water setting on your clothes washer when you’re able to. Using cool water minimizes your washer’s energy use by an average of 75%. To achieve this, make sure to clean your clothes dryer’s lint capture after every use. Utilize any automated drying mechanism available at the near environment on your clothes dryer if you have one.

4. Energy Savings: Put Personal Computers in Energy Efficient Mode

Most personal home computers come with the energy management features switched off. On personal computers that operate on Windows, begin using any energy management application installed which means that your computer would go to sleep it is idle for some minutes.

People who use Macintosh personal computers should check on their Control Sections named “Energy Saver” and adjust them accordingly. If you are done making use of your computer, shut it down. Do not leave it in sleep mode as it still consumes energy. With computers being energy inefficient, these techniques help in minimizing winter heating costs.

5. Winter Heating Costs Tip: Invest in Good Insulation

A lot of money is usually wasted in through various energy costs every year due to the loss of high temperatures and cool air in homes without proper insulation. Install inexpensive insulation from your neighborhood do-it-yourself stores and install where air escapes in your home. This is an ideal way to help in minimizing heating costs. It is important for people to focus on foam weather stripping for your doors and windows; it’s cheap and is incredibly easy to use. Cut your winter home heating bills with these energy savings tips from Popular Mechanics.

6. Energy Savings Tips: Modify your Thermostat at Night

Corresponding to various research on energy, you save about 10 % per season on your warming charges by turning your thermostat down 10 to 15 degrees Celsius in every 8 hours. You can as well consider buying flannel bed linens and warm bed comforters for your foundation and maintaining your apartment much cooler when you sleep.

The above are some of the various ways that one can adopt in order to save on winter heating costs. They are cheap methods that can be used by every person to ensure that no excess amounts of money are wasted on heating costs during the winter.

For more home energy savings tips on Stagetecture, click here.

Save Energy with Smaller Appliances and The Lennox® Energy Savings Superstar Contest

A few years ago I was visiting my in-laws in South Florida and saw them using their countertop toaster oven and I asked my husband why we never got one. He told me his family had used them since he was young and figured I wouldn’t want one!! HA… so we finally got a toaster oven and it has saved us time, energy, and most of all… I don’t have to turn the air conditioner up when I start cooking, anymore.

Toaster ovens and microwaves can help lower your energy costs

My number one energy tip is to use small appliances like toaster ovens and microwave ovens to help save energy. Most of the time my kids’ dinners and me reheating leftovers from the night before is ready in 15 minutes rather than 30 minutes in a full-sized oven. Both types of ovens also require less time to heat up, and are easier to clean.

Lennox® air conditioning equipment offers more efficiency for your home

We all know that saving energy helps the environment, our wallets, and our families.  Lennox® offers some of the quietest and most efficient HVAC systems on the market. The XC25 unit is part of The Ultimate Comfort System from Lennox® . It’s quiet to operate and keeps your energy bills lower with its efficient running system.

Could you use $10,000 in HVAC Equipment?

Enter to win in the Lennox® Energy Savings Superstar Contest!

How do you save electricity at your home? Take a quick pic and enter to win!

·       $10,000 in Lennox® heating and air conditioning equipment

·       A year supply of ice cream

·       Tickets to the closest local water park

Official Contest Rules:

You can find the official contest rules here. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED. Canada (excluding Quebec) U.S. (DC) the age of majority in their jurisdiction. Ends 8/31/2016. For Prize info and Official Rules visit: http://static.lennox.com/pdfs/legal/OfficialContestRules2016-FINAL.pdf Sponsor: Lennox. Odds of winning depend on number of eligible entries received.

How long do I have to enter the Energy Savings Superstar contest?

·       July 1 – August 31:  Entry submission window

·       September 12 – 18: Voting period (vote for 1 of 4 finalists)

·       September 28: Winner announced

This summer take control of your energy bill again with these energy savings tips. My toaster oven may be a small appliance but it helps save us energy. Let us know what energy savings you’ve tried in your home. Don’t forget to enter the Lennox® ESSC contest and use this Dealer Locator for your area.

Energy savings in my summer home in Jacksonville, Florida can be a challenge. With the 95-degree heat each day and high humidity, our air conditioner unit is constantly running… unfortunately. Last summer my husband and I heard about installing a Smart programmable thermostat to save energy and it’s been the best decision ever! I’m excited to pair up with Lennox® to highlight energy saving tips for your home and to give you a chance to enter their Energy Savings Superstar Contest.  You have the chance of winning $10,000 in Lennox® heating and air conditioning equipment for your home…. I know right? Take a look at how to enter.

Saving Electricity and The Lennox Energy Savings Superstar Contest

I don’t know about your house during the summertime but it seems like we’re constantly on the go and conservation of energy tends to be last priority on our minds. We decided to install our Smart Programmable Thermostat last summer and have been using it for more than a year. We love how you can control it remotely from your smartphone or computer when you’re out of town, or even if you’re on your way home from work and you want the house to be cool when you get home!  More importantly than convenience is it learns our family habits of when we are away or in the house and it saves us energy without us thinking about it.

Here’s a good energy efficiency tip when using your thermostat:

Raise the temperature of your thermostat a few degrees in the summer to lower cooling costs. In the winter lower the temperature a few degrees to save on winter heating costs. A programmable thermostat will also keep you from changing the settings constantly, resulting in less energy efficiency.

Lennox® air conditioning units help save energy:

While your thermostat is one way to cut your energy costs, the air conditioning unit you use should be energy efficient as well. The Ultimate Comfort System from Lennox® is made one of the most efficient and quietest HVAC systems on the market. Consider the XC25 model, which offers the lowest operating noise levels of any air conditioner and is precise and energy efficient.

How to do you save energy?

Take a picture and enter to win the Energy Savings Superstar Contest (ESSC)

We all have clever ways we save energy, whether it’s telling your kids to turn off the lights when they leave a room or it’s turning your ceiling fans the opposite direction for the season.

Enter the Lennox® Energy Savings Superstar Contest and you could win:

• $10,000 in Lennox® heating and air conditioning equipment
• A year supply of ice cream
• Tickets to the closest local water park

Here’s how to enter the contest:

1. Share an energy savings tip you use in your home during the summer
2. Take a picture of the tip

Four finalists will be chosen and users can vote on their favorite to determine the winner. The winner will then receive a high-value Lennox® prize package.

When will the winner be announced?

• July 1 – August 31:  Entry submission window
• September 12 – 18: Voting period (vote for 1 of 4 finalists)
• September 28: Winner announced

Official Contest Rules:

You can view the official contest rules here.

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED. Canada (excluding Quebec) U.S. (DC) the age of majority in their jurisdiction. Ends 8/31/2016. For Prize info and Official Rules visit: http://static.lennox.com/pdfs/legal/OfficialContestRules2016-FINAL.pdf Sponsor: Lennox. Odds of winning depend on number of eligible entries received.

Go ahead and enter the contest and share with us your energy savings tips this summer. All you have to lose is money off your monthly energy bill! Find your local Lennox® Dealer Locator in your area here.

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Green Technology Design Ideas for the Home

Programmable Thermostats

We are always looking for new ways to control our HVAC systems while away from our homes to save on the air conditioning costs today as they are continuing to rapidly rise especially in this hotter and colder months of the year. With programmable thermostats installed in your home, you can control your usage at the touch of a button and save yourself some money as well. Programmable thermostats can also help you by giving you feedback on where you are saving your money with usage versus not, helping you determine where you may want to adjust for future savings.

Image via: Pinterest

Smart Showers

Smart Showers today have a lot of options available to not only make your shower experience easy but also safe as the shower is one of the most common areas where you could hurt yourself through a slip, fall, or the water burning from being too hot. Some features that you could look forward to if choosing to place a smart shower in your home are digital controls for the temperature of the water and filters that automatically recycle used shower water. These types of features allow safety and comfort knowing you are reusing water after the filter cleans the used water. By automatically filtering and reusing the water, you are accomplishing an 80% energy and water savings.

Image via: Pinterest

Smart Toilets

As we know today, toilets are already moving towards energy efficiency through using less water for flushing, but what you could not imagine is that toilets are becoming more technologically advanced. Green technology design is moving forward with now bringing in more features such as automatic seats, heated seats, and even technology that will record and test your health. All of these combined would be a definite upgrade to the traditional toilets we see today and also continue to save in energy costs for the home.

Image via: Pinterest

Controlling Energy Usage

A convenient and easy way to control the energy output of your home is to choose to purchase smart power strips for your appliances to plug into as you can control the energy output while away from your house through your iPhone. Using your iPhone to save you money through energy savings and also save you in the event you forgot to turn something off before leaving the house. A lot of appliance plugs are located in awkward locations making it a pain to constantly strain yourself to unplug before leaving, but these power strips in combination with your iPhone provide you with the perfect solution.

Image via: gadgetsin.com

As we continue to advance into smart and green home design, technologies will continue to improve creating more ways for us to save energy and create safer solutions for the home. If you find yourself looking for solutions to spending less in energy or even wanting to upgrade to a better option for your home and your lifestyle, choosing smart and green technology designs for the home is a start to moving in the right direction.

If you have implemented any new ideas for green technology design in your home, please share your thoughts on what products you have used.

For more green living ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

 Energy Savings in Choosing the Right Paint Color

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Understanding Color Interaction with Light

Having a general understanding of how color and light can either create more heat with your light source or possibly not enough heat for your space is a step in the right direction to cutting energy costs within your home. White naturally reflects light while black tends to absorb and attract heat. So it would make sense to lean towards a paint color for your walls or ceilings that would be on the lighter side for your home such as creams, light greys, or pale hues of other colors.

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Lighter Color Choices

As you are shopping for a paint color for your home, lighter color walls can help produce energy savings for your home and are ideal for creating an electricity efficient home. Lighter colored walls are considered less heat absorbent, creating a cooler home in the summer months and cutting on air conditioning costs for the home. Since light colors on your walls do not absorb as much heat, it can be a blessing also in the winter months as it will take less effort for your home to become warm and stay warm.

Image via: Interior Design

Evaluate the Sunlight to Artificial Light Ratio

Having too much light enter your home can cause the home to become warmer or colder depending on your choice of paint color as well as cause a possible glare on your walls. Even if you choose a lighter paint color for your walls, if you keep everything light with a lot of natural sunlight, it may create an unwanted glare within the space. Evaluating your current space for the amount of light that enters the home, whether sunlight or artificial lights, can play a role in pairing the right paint choice with your walls to save money on energy usage. Paint color choices and finishes may provide you with a nice balance in the space and savings all around if the light sources are being considered in the decision.

Image via: Design Basica

As we all look for new ways to create energy savings every season, sometimes something as simple as changing our paint colors on our walls and ceilings can accomplish this and create an inviting and comfortable atmosphere within your home. Next time you are shopping for a new paint color for your home, consider some lighter colors, evaluate your current light sources, and remember how color absorbs heat if darker while lighter colors reflect heat. Have fun with your choices in paint but keep in mind the potential energy savings you could accomplish!

For more color ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

When it comes to maintaining the temperature in your home most home owners spend over 40% of their household bills on either cooling or heating the various rooms in the house. There are a number of options available to home owners to successfully manage these costs more effectively. We’ve put together some handy tips to help you keep your home at the perfect temperature all year round.

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Keep your thermostat at a fixed temperature

One of the most effective ways to set the climate control for your home is to install several thermostats throughout the house. This allows you to regulate the temperate in different rooms. However to stop your household bills rocketing make sure you monitor the top temperature carefully. Some kits give you the option to fix the temperature which prevents children from tampering with the dials and running up enormous bills without your knowledge.

Ventilation fans

Keeping your kitchen and bathroom cool is a must to prevent damp and other unpleasant fungus growing. So installing a ventilation fan which can be switched on when cooking or bathing will help to improve aeration in these rooms. It’s important to use these sparingly and only turn them on for short periods of time or they will use up a lot of energy.

Cool down in the summer

When it comes to the summer it can be very difficult to sleep when it becomes sticky and humid. An air conditioning unit can be a portable solution to keep you cool for a few weeks. If you are unsure whether this is the right solution you may want to consider air conditioning hire and test out the unit before you buy one. Many families simply hire then during the height of summer and return them as the temperatures drop. Air conditioning hire offers a choice of models to suit the room so from your bedroom to home office you can pick something to suit your needs.

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Clean your radiators and keep the air flow clear

It may sound obvious but before you start complaining about the temperature in your home check that the radiators have free air flow. To enable these to work effectively the air must be able to circulate. So give the radiators a good dust, remove any blockages or curtains which may be preventing them from working efficiently. You can then turn down the temperature and allow them to work properly.

Close your doors

Another way to maintain the climate control in your home more effectively is to close doors of rooms you are not using. Keeping the doors shut will keep the heat in and also stop cold or warm air escaping to unused rooms in the house.

For more energy efficient ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

Is this the Next Green Revolution?

If you’ve got home improvements in mind, you’d probably like to recoup some of their cost at a later date. If you also care about the environment, you’ll want to keep those upgrades green. Don’t worry. You can do both and still come out a winner. Those valuable improvements needn’t break the bank.

Better yet, according to a survey by the National Association of Realtors, over 70 percent of their cost can be recouped when you sell. Here’s how.

Image via: Houzz

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Add an Attic Bedroom

If you’ve got an attic, you can have an extra bedroom, and you can do it responsibly by using drywall composed of post-industrial recycled materials. At decorating time, remember that you can buy zero-VOC interior paint everywhere nowadays. Potential cost recouped on an attic bedroom addition: 72.5 percent.

Replace that Beat-Up Siding

By putting new siding on your home, you will not only improve its curb appeal. You’ll also add as much as 78 percent of the job’s cost to its resale value.

It’s important to choose a quality siding, though, and if you want to keep it green, consider fiber cement. This popular new material, manufactured from cement and wood fibers, is durable, affordable and environmentally responsible.

A Door to be Proud Of

Replacement of the entry door will add to your home’s appearance, and a full 73 percent of its cost can be recouped, as well. Don’t replace with wood, though. The superior strength of a steel door will provide your home with a greater degree of protection.

Image via: Houzz

Don’t Forget the Garage

The addition of a new steel garage door will not only add to your home’s curb appeal. It will also help to protect the bicycles, tools and sundry items that most people store in their garages. It’s hard for a thief to kick in a steel door, and the potential payback in this case figures at 71 percent of the cost.

New Windows for Energy Savings

When climate-controlled indoor air decides to make a break for it, drafty windows usually serve as the escape route of choice. To reduce your carbon footprint, consider replacing those worn-out windows. It’s green to save on energy, and a full 69.1 percent of this upgrade can be recouped, as well.

Image via: Casaresidence

Any of these upgrades will increase the resale value of your home, and the construction materials available today make it easy to improve and still be green.

It is a guest blog post by M. Fortie. She is a renewable power pro and writer. She blogs for the Residentialsolarpanels.org solar panels systems blog. If you want to learn how to calculate the cost of solar hot water system, become a Facebook fan.

For more green living ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

Most people assume a greener home requires extreme measures like armoring your house with clumsy solar panels and sticking a windmill on your front lawn. However, reducing the amount of electricity you use can be equally as effective as generating new energy. In fact, there are plenty of smaller alterations you can make that have a significant impact on your home’s energy output. By finding green ways to generate energy while limiting waste, you can significantly cut down the cost of your electricity while reducing your carbon footprint. The following are 5 ways to make your home more energy efficient:

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1. Change Your Air Conditioning Filter

All the dust and dirt that clogs your filter can obstruct air flow and minimize efficiency. Changing the filter on your heating and cooling vents will help them dispense air smoothly, while at the same time preserving the integrity of the overall unit. Perform this maintenance once a month or when the filters appear clogged

2. Caulk Your Windows

The easier it is for heat to escape and cool air to get in, the more it will cost you to warm your home. Check all windows and door frames to ensure they are airtight. Honeycomb shades can be installed on the interior to help trap heat. Common areas for leaks include door and window frames, cracks along the baseboards, electrical outlets and mounted lights, attic doors and pull down stairs, fireplaces, pipe chases, and laundry chutes. Sealing all of these entry points can reduce the amount of energy waste. Adding plants and other greenery outside your windows can also help by reducing wind and creating a shield against radiation.

3. Compact Fluorescent Bulbs

The easiest and most common way to reduce electricity usage is to swap the old inefficient light bulbs for the modern, more energy efficient lights. CFLs are 75% more efficient than there incandescent counterparts. During its lifetime, studies have estimated the newer bulb saves about $20 in electricity. Therefore, while an incandescent light bulb may be cheaper to buy, it ultimately ends up costing a great deal more in energy usage.

4. Programmable Thermostat

Often times, the most culpable party with regard to energy waste is not the home, but the habits of the residents within. Leaving on a heater or air conditioner while away or during sleep represents a substantial amount of wasted electricity. While it is the human condition to forget such things, having a thermostat programmed to your lifestyle can save you the hassle of trying to remember. Simply set the timer according to the season and adjust as necessary.

5. Replace Older Appliances

Refrigerators have always consumed massive amounts of energy. They operate day and night, and most keep their insides cool regardless of how hot it gets or how much food is contained within. However, in the past 5 years, great strides have been made with regard to energy efficiency in these bulky appliances. According to representatives from Direct Energy, there is a 20 to 40 percent difference in energy efficiency in refrigerators since 2001. The advances in technology apply to all your traditional energy guzzlers, from refrigerators to dishwashers to washers and dryers. Replacing one now will ultimately save you more money on electricity costs in the long term, so long as you resist the temptation to plug the old one in as a backup.

John Hill writes on behalf of PublicLiabilityInsurance.org an online resource for business owners providing builders liability insurance.

For more energy efficient ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

Although most of us purchase homes that are already built, that doesn’t mean that we can’t arrange and fill our spaces in a way that is in keeping with our eco-friendly sensibilities.  And of course, upgrades and additions to an existing structure can also be performed in a manner that is less harmful to the environment.  So if you’re interested in implementing a design process in your new home that allows you to reduce your carbon footprint along the way, here are a few tips and tricks that will get you on track to meet all of your home design goals.

Image via: UUL Design

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Furnishings

Now that you’ve got your interior prepped it’s time for some fun with decorating.  If you have furnishings that you love already, consider keeping them and simply giving them an upgrade with new upholstery or a coat of paint.  And if you need new pieces, consider supporting area craftspeople or purchasing from companies that create environmentally friendly furnishings.

Walls

The absolute easiest way to give your interior spaces a facelift is to paint the walls, and it’s easy to add some panache with low- or no-VOC paint products.  These hues eschew volatile organic compounds that could pollute your indoor air for years to come and cause respiratory problems (and far worse).  And with all of the options for colors, finishes, and more you’ll have plenty of choices when it comes to personalizing your home.

Image via: Ikrunk

Flooring

Another popular upgrade for most homes is flooring.  And while this process can be exceedingly harmful to the planet, there are definitely ways to green it up.  For example, rather than sending old flooring to the landfill, see if it can be recycled.  Synthetic-fiber carpets can be steam-cleaned and sold as remnants (as long as your cat hasn’t been using them for a litter box) and flooring tiles or planks can potentially be refurbished and resold.  As for the new flooring you put in, consider using eco-friendly products like faux stone, reclaimed hardwood, or organic-fiber carpeting.

Storage

It’s easy to go green with cabinetry.  If your cupboards are structurally sound and meet your requirements for functionality, there’s no need to replace them.  Simply upgrade with a new stain or a coat of paint or have them refaced for less waste.  And if they must go, look into options for recycling (sell them for refurbishing and resale or pawn them off for scrap).  And when you purchase new cabinets, consider reclaimed options; you can get beautiful hardwoods at a fraction of the cost and reduce the demand for deforestation.

Lighting

Natural light is always best, so consider knocking out a few walls to create that open floor plan you’ve been dreaming of, or simply place a variety of mirrors strategically throughout the space to bounce light everywhere (alleviating the need for electrical lighting throughout the day).  And for evenings, install energy saving CFLs (which fit standard fixtures) or even more-efficient LEDs.

Accessories

The finishing touches, like lamps, linens, and so on can also be surprisingly green.  Linens (curtains, throws, pillows, etc.) made from organic fabrics are a must.  And for a few quirky pieces to decorate your space, hit up garage sales, thrift stores, and Craigslist with a creative eye.  You’d be surprised what you can do with a few bucks and a little ingenuity.

Evan Fischer is a contributing writer for MorrisonHershfield, the leader in innovative, eco-friendly and cost effective engineering projects.

For more eco-friendly ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

Happy DIY Saturday! Now that the season has turned colder, the reality of saving energy and keeping your home warm are important factors to consider. Today, my Guest Blogger will show you tips for keeping your home warm through your windows.

Image via: Bartone Contracting

Watch this You Tube Video on insulating your windows and adding weather stripping. Two ideas that will save energy, keep your family warmer, and will save money!

Guest Blog – Tips for insulating your home windows

The cold of winter has finally reared its icy head, and just in time for the holidays! It’s high time to cozy up your home before hoards of family members come over for dinners, arguments, and drunken carols. There are several ways you can approach keeping a house well heated, many of which can be expensive, involved, or require more time than you’d want to spend to keep your home warm and save a little money. Rather than spending your savings on a rainy (and cold) day, or giving up on it all together, here’s one clear way to keep the heat in your house: insulate your windows!

Your winter windows will not only keep your home warmer by keeping heat in and cold weather out, but you’ll be saving money on your heating bill by using your home heating system less. There’s more than one way to insulate a window, but luckily they’re all pretty simple.

Image via: Home Gallery Design

1. Curtains

Heavy curtains can do more than you think for heat retention. Plus, they look good. Depending on how many windows you’re looking to cover up, though, beefy curtains might end up being more expensive.

2. Window Insulation Film

This method is cost effective and definitely works. Tried and true, shrink-wrapping your windows can cost you a fraction of what you might spend on curtains or new windows, and you can install the film yourself. The downside is the film can be kind of unattractive, unless you’re into that smoky-window kind of look.

3. New windows

Whoa! This choice isn’t necessarily going to be cheap, but it can definitely be worth it in the long run. If you own your home, investing in energy efficient windows can garner you a tax rebate, improve the value of your home, and save you money from month to month, on top of keeping your house warm. Spendy, yes, but you can find estimates today and see if it’s worth it for you.

4. Rubber sealing

External insulation will definitely keep the weather out without drastically affecting the look of your windows, but be wary when you remove the rubber strips after winter, as the adhesive may damage your existing exterior paint.

Image via: Toronto Door sandwindows

Give any of these window tricks a shot and you’ll be clearly on your way to a warmer winter at home. Or you can just get a whole lot of Snuggies. Now, without further ado, a completely unrelated music video by Sea Wolf, coincidentally called “Winter Windows.”

Jim Davenport is a seasoned contractor in the world of HVAC and windows. He recommends taking a look at this heating guide for further winter home-warming tips.

For more DIY ideas on Stagetecture, & Stagetecture’s YouTube Channel, click here.