Ideas to Winterproof Your Home

Summary

Podcast Summary: All Of It – "Ideas to Winterproof Your Home"

Episode Release Date: January 10, 2025
Host: Alison Stewart
Guest: Courtney Mason, General Manager of The Spruce

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Introduction

In the January 10th episode of All Of It, host Alison Stewart delves into practical strategies for winterizing homes in New York City. With winter temperatures plunging, the episode addresses both homeowners and renters, offering actionable tips to maintain warmth, reduce energy bills, and prepare for extreme weather conditions. Courtney Mason from The Spruce joins the conversation to provide expert insights tailored to the unique challenges of urban living.

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Understanding Winterization

Winterizing a home involves transitioning from summer and fall maintenance to prepare for colder months. This includes ensuring effective insulation, managing drafts, and optimizing heating systems to keep homes warm without excessive energy expenditure.

Courtney Mason explains, “[01:22] What we mean when we say winterize our homes is to take stock, look around our house and make sure that we have switched from our summer and fall mindset into the reality that it's cold, it's drafty, I need heavier blankets. I need to do some spot checking to make sure that I stay as warm as possible without breaking the bank and heating the whole neighborhood.”

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Tips for Renters

Renters face unique challenges since they often cannot make permanent changes to their living spaces. Courtney offers several renter-friendly strategies:

• Draft Stoppers: Inexpensive tools that slide under doors or into window cracks to keep warm air in and pests out.

  “[01:46] Investigating draft stoppers, which are totally a lifesaver because they're inexpensive. They slide right under the door... they keep the warm air in and the creepy crawlies out.”

• Rugs: Beyond meeting rental agreements, rugs add insulation and enhance room aesthetics.

• Layered Bedding and Curtains: Switching to thicker blankets, flannel sheets, and thermal curtains can significantly improve warmth.

  “[01:46] Adding an extra rug or two can help insulate the room... switching out your bedding to thicker blankets and sheets, a duvet insert, some flannel sheets...”

• Maximizing Daylight: Open curtains during sunny days to let natural heat in and close them at night to retain warmth.

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Managing Thermostat Conflicts

Thermostat disagreements are common in households. Courtney suggests:

• Smart Thermostats: Automate temperature settings based on household patterns, reducing the need for manual adjustments.

  “[04:11] Investing in a smart thermostat is actually a great fix to this problem because it takes it out of your hands.”

• Temperature Preferences: If manual control is necessary, leaning towards cooler settings is generally more cost-effective, allowing individuals to add layers as needed.

  “[04:11] We generally do recommend you err on the side of keeping it cooler.”

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Sealing Drafts in Older Apartments

Older New York City apartments often suffer from pervasive drafts. Effective strategies include:

• Bubble Wrap on Windows: A temporary solution that seals windows effectively.

  “[05:39] I love that bubble wrap tip because windows are a really prominent place for those cracks... grab that bubble wrap, which I'm doing immediately.”

• Caulking and Thermal Curtains: Permanent and semi-permanent fixes to minimize heat loss.

• Regular Maintenance: Inspecting and sealing all potential draft sources around the apartment perimeter.

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Preparing for Snowstorms and Extreme Weather

Proactive preparation is key to mitigating the impact of winter storms:

• Notify NYC App: Stay informed with real-time alerts about weather emergencies.

  “[08:20] Download and use the Notify NYC app... prepare now to avoid long lines and sold-out stores.”

• Essential Supplies: Stock up on de-icing salt, windshield washer fluid, snow shovels, and emergency kits containing flashlights, batteries, non-perishable food, portable chargers, and first aid supplies.

  “[08:20] Invest in an emergency kit... flashlights, batteries, non-perishable food, portable chargers... get them right now.”

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Preventing Frozen Pipes

Frozen pipes can lead to costly damages. Courtney emphasizes preventative measures:

• Expose Vulnerable Pipes: Leaving kitchen sink cabinets open allows warm air to circulate around pipes.

  “[10:21] Exposing pipes to the warmer air of your kitchen is a smart tip to prevent bursts.”

• Keep Water Flowing: Letting faucets drip during extreme cold prevents water from freezing in pipes.

  “[10:21] Standing water is more likely to freeze, so keeping a trickle running helps.”

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Enhancing Indoor Air Quality

With windows closed to retain heat, indoor air can become stagnant. Solutions include:

• Air Purifiers: Maintain fresh air and reduce the spread of germs.

  “[14:12] An air purifier is a great investment year-round... especially in the winter when germs are spreading.”

• Humidifiers: Add moisture to the air, improving comfort and skin hydration.

  “[14:12] Humidifiers keep the air hydrated, making rooms feel more comfortable.”

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Chimney Maintenance

For those with fireplaces, regular chimney upkeep is crucial for safety and efficiency:

• Professional Cleaning: Have chimneys cleaned annually to remove soot buildup.

  “[12:54] Have your chimney professionally cleaned about once a year to remove any soot buildup.”

• Post-Fire Practices: Follow pro advice on maintaining chimney health after each use.

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Listener Questions and Expert Responses

Q1: “Our less than 10-year-old home has flex tubing instead of old-world copper pipes. Should I leave kitchen sink cabinets open when temperatures drop to prevent pipe bursts?”
A1: “[10:21] Yes, leaving cabinets open exposes pipes to warmer air, preventing bursts. It's a smart and necessary precaution.”

Q2: “I'm a renter with aluminum windows that collect moisture, leading to mold. What can I do?”
A2: “[12:00] Invest in a dehumidifier to reduce moisture levels and prevent mold growth.”

Q3: “I prefer a cold bedroom at night but don’t want my entire apartment to get cold. Any suggestions?”
A3: “[13:28] Hanging curtains on a tension rod across doorways can help isolate rooms, maintaining temperature differences without permanent changes.”

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Final Tips

Courtney Mason concludes with encouraging listeners to start winterizing promptly to avoid last-minute hassles and ensure comfort throughout the season:

“[15:43] Even though it's been super cold, it's not too late to start these projects. It really doesn't have to cost a lot or take a lot of time. And you can keep yourself warm.”

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Conclusion

The episode provides a comprehensive guide to winterizing homes in New York City, addressing both common and unique challenges faced by residents. From simple renters' solutions to essential homeowner strategies, Alison Stewart and Courtney Mason equip listeners with the knowledge to navigate the cold months efficiently and comfortably.

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Notable Quotes:

• “[01:22] ...switch from our summer and fall mindset into the reality that it's cold, it's drafty, I need heavier blankets...” – Courtney Mason

• “[04:11] Investing in a smart thermostat is actually a great fix to this problem...” – Courtney Mason

• “[08:20] Prepare now to avoid long lines and sold-out stores.” – Courtney Mason

• “[14:12] An air purifier is a great investment year-round... especially in the winter when germs are spreading.” – Courtney Mason

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For more episodes and insightful discussions on culture and its consumers, tune into All Of It on WNYC, hosted by Alison Stewart.

Transcript

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[WNYC Studios]

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[Alison Stewart]

This is all of it on wnyc. I'm Alison Stewart. Right now it is so cold the cops told a robber to freeze and he did. Yeah, I got that from a dad joke book. All back jokes aside, depending on your home's insulation, you may be feeling that cold inside as much as outside. But there are practical steps you can take to make sure the draft coming through the front door is in the that bad. That's for our friends who own homes, but we haven't forgot about you renters either. We have some info for you too. Courtney Mason is the general manager of the Spruce. She's here now to give us some advice on how to winterize our homes. Hi Courtney.

[Courtney Mason]

Hi. It's great to be here. And you're right, it is so cold outside.

[Alison Stewart]

What do we mean when we say winterize our homes?

[Courtney Mason]

What we mean when we say winterize our homes is to take stock, look around our house and make sure that we have switched from our summer and fall mindset into the reality that it's cold, it's drafty, I need heavier blankets. I need to do some spot checking to make sure that I stay as warm as possible without breaking the bank and heating the whole neighborhood.

[Alison Stewart]

Listeners, how do you go about winterizing your home or apartment? Do you stuff socks under the door to keep the cold out? Our numbers 212-433-9692. How do you get to try to save on your heat bill in the winter? 212-433-9692 do you have any questions about how to make your home better suited for the wintertime? 212-433-WNYC 212-433-9692 it's one thing to winterize your home as an owner. It's another as a renter. You do not need to tell New Yorkers about their radiators you're firing on full blast or not working at all. What advice do you have for renters on what they can do in the winter time? Winter time so they don't they don't completely lose control of the heat in their house.

[Courtney Mason]

It is really tricky to be a renter in New York. I am one. I'M a renter in New York, so these tips are tried and true. It's from little things like investing in draft stoppers, which are totally a lifesaver because they're inexpensive. They slide right under the door. It can even slide in cracks under your windows. And they do double duty, which is that they keep the warm air in and the creepy crawlies out. And then rugs can even do triple duty. You know, not just double duty, but triple duty. Because a lot of us renters know that our rental agreements require us to have floor coverings. Okay, so check. But then they also look cute and add personality. We love that. And then adding an extra rug or two tier space can help insulate the room and make it feel warmer. And we take that ethos into the bedroom. You know, we have a lot of thought around turning the heat down overnight so that we can keep our heating bills reasonable. So switch out your bedding. It's time for thicker blankets and sheets, a duvet insert some flannel sheets, and take that to your curtains as well. Because there are some great thermal curtain options that have these extra layers of fabric to keep the warmth in and the cold out. I do like to throw it open during the day so that I can let the sunlight heat my room. That's, you know, preheating source. But then for sure close them at night and help block any drafts. And those are all renter friendly swaps that you can make without making permanent changes to your space.

[Listener]

Everyone has somebody in the family who's either touching the thermostat or bans someone else from touching the thermostat. How do you navigate thermostat politics?

[Courtney Mason]

I am both of those people. I'm constantly touching it and constantly telling everybody else not to touch it. If you're able to. Investing in a smart thermostat is actually a great fix to this problem because it takes it out of your hands. The smart thermostat is designed to optimize the temperature to your lifestyle to what it observes when you're home. When you're not. It runs on a set schedule. But if you're not able to or haven't done that yet, I will say while there's no set rule, it's really up to your household on if you err on the side of cooler or warmer. I have good news for dads everywhere, which is we generally do recommend you err on the side of keeping it cooler. Letting the colder family member wear an extra layer or use a blanket is honestly easier and more cost efficient than it is to keep it warm and run a secondary source like a fan or something to keep the warmer member cool. So if you're looking for an official tie break, I've got to give this one to the dads everywhere.

[Listener]

This text says I'm a renter. Bubble wrap to seal the windows cuts the draft immediately. Thanks for that tip. You might have touched on this question before, but I'll ask it anyway. How can you winterize a typically drafty, barely heated NYC pre war apartment?

[Courtney Mason]

I those are so tricky because there's drafts everywhere. So I'd start by kind of going around the perimeter of your space. When it's cold out, the draft isn't going to be shy in showing itself. You'll know. I love that bubble wrap tip because windows are a really prominent place for those cracks in those drafts to get in in these older buildings. So I'm definitely stealing that. But draft stoppers are really great for this. And those thermal curtains we were talking about are actually great for situations like this as well. They have just a little bit more oomph than your regular curtain would, and they can act as a really powerful shield against those drafts. In addition to trying to seal them, caulk them, use draft stoppers, and grab that bubble wrap, which I'm doing immediately.

[Alison Stewart]

We're talking to Courtney Mason, general manager of the Spruce. We're talking about ways to winterproof our homes, keeping the heat in and keeping the cold out. And we are taking your calls. How do you go about winterizing your home or apartment? Do you want to improve your insulation? Any questions? Questions on how to make your home better suited for the winter? Or maybe you've become an expert over the years and you want to share advice. Our Phone number is 2124-3396-9221-2433. WNYC. You can call in or you can text to us at that number or reach out to us on social media at all of it. Wnyc. What does a H Vac have to do with keeping it cool in your house?

[Courtney Mason]

Yes. So there are so many different types of heating systems, especially in New York. We all have something different. You might have a furnace, you might have a radiator, or you might have central air, which is where your H Vac system will come in. And what you want to do, really every seasonal turnover, is swap out your H Vac filters, because those are the mechanism that we can control, that we can update, that we can swap to make sure our systems are running as efficiently as possible. If you're unsure, this is a great project to call a pro in at least maybe once your first time. They can do some regular maintenance and and sorry to the pros here, but follow them around. Follow the pro around. Ask them what they're doing, try to learn the lingo and ask them what you can be doing on a daily, weekly, monthly, seasonal basis to keep your system running as as smoothly as possible.

[Alison Stewart]

Let's say we get a blizzard warning.

[Listener]

It could very well happen this time of year. How should we go about preparing our homes both inside and out for a storm?

[Courtney Mason]

Yes, I have two thoughts on that. 1. If you live in New York City, don't forget to download and use the Notify NYC app because it's great for notifications like you're saying about upcoming extreme weather and snow emergencies and other citywide alerts. But the best thing we can do is prepare. Now I took a look at the weather for the weekend. I don't think we've got too much of a crazy weekend ahead here, so why not prep now? You don't want to wait until the snowstorm hits because you'll find yourself waiting in a long line to get the gear you need or the stores might be sold out of what you need. So if you've been thinking about it, take this as your signature. Head online right now or plan to stop by the local hardware store after work today and pick up things like de icing salt. You'll want that. Windshield washer fluid, snow shovel if you don't have it, car brush, ice scraper. Those are all the things that are going to be hot commodities if you wait until a storm arrives. So just do it now. And similarly, it's great to invest in an emergency kit so you'll want to have flashlights, batteries for those flashlights, some non perishable food, portable chargers for your devices, and those portable chargers should be charged up and ready to go. If you've got a pet, stock up some extra pet food. First aid supplies are really smart to have on hand. Bottled water and these are things that should a big storm come or a power outage come, you're going to say oh shoot, I meant to get those things. So you know what? Get them right now. Get them today.

[Listener]

This text says our less than 10 year old home has flex tubing as opposed to old World copper pipes. Yeah, I am still leaving the kitchen sink cabinets open when temps drop in an effort to avoid a frozen pipe burst. Unnecessary. Well, first of all, first of all, should your pipe burst, what are the Consequences of having your pipe burst. Your pipes burst.

[Courtney Mason]

Right? You're actually this. This texture is doing exactly the right thing because exposing pipes that they're worried about to the warmer air of your kitchen and not kind of, you know, boxing it behind those closed doors is actually a really smart tip. So good on them because like you're saying, the consequences are huge. It's expensive, it's time consuming, really inconvenient. So even if it might feel silly or, you know, it's 20, 25, I can't believe I'm still doing this. You're doing totally the right thing. That's the same kind of thing with keeping water dripping. You hear about doing that to prevent your pipes from freezing. That really works. Standing water is more likely to freeze than running water. Your pipes that are empty and don't have any water running through them are more susceptible to this cold weather damage as well. So these kind of, you know, tried and true tricks are really tried and true for a reason. So spot on.

[Listener]

This says, I use a temporary caulk called Dap seal and peel. You can use it along the edges of your windows, and once it gets warmer, you can peel it right off. Thanks for the tip. Yeah. Let's talk to Lois in Manhattan has a question. Go, go, Lois. You're on the air.

[WNYC Studios]

Hi. Thank you for this topic. So I live in a rental. The windows are aluminum, and I understand they're the cheapest kind of windows to have. But what happens is, I don't know if it attracts moisture or whatever, but in the wintertime, it. It rains on the inside of my windows. It sort of collects mold at the bottom. And every day I'm sort of sopping up little puddles on the window sills.

[Courtney Mason]

Oh, that's so frustrating. And it's interesting, too, because often we think of winter air as being drier and colder. But what you're talking about is not uncommon either, where your apartment can start to feel weird and muggy. And that for something like that, I'd recommend, if you don't already have one, investing in a dehumidifier. So we love, in the winter, an air purifier, a humidifier to keep the air nice and clean and fresh and humid. But for situations like yours, a well placed dehumidifier could actually be a really great solve, knowing that your windows are kind of giving you that trouble.

[Listener]

All right, a lot of folks, some people in the city are lucky enough to have a fireplace. Which brings us to chimneys. How important is a chimney when you're cleaning your home.

[Courtney Mason]

Chimney cleaning is another project that I say, you know what? Start with a pro. Have your chimney professionally cleaned about once a year to remove any soot buildup. And again, sorry to the chimney pros out there, but follow that chimney pro through their professional cleaning. And similarly to what we were talking about with your H Vac, ask them what you can do before and after you run a fire in your fireplace to make sure that you're keeping it running for efficiency and warmth and fire prevention.

[Alison Stewart]

Honestly, this one says, I like a cold bedroom at night, but don't want my entire apartment to get cold because I have cats. And because of how my bedroom is configured, closing the door is an option. Instead, I've hung curtains on a tension rod across the doorway. This also works to keep the room cool in the summer as the AC is in the bedroom.

[Courtney Mason]

Again, that's such a good point. Some of the chips that you use to stay cool in the summer kind of have that same effect in the winter. I love that when a door, you know, closing a door for pet safety or child safety isn't something you're comfortable with. That curtain's a great idea.

[Alison Stewart]

What if I'm in my apartment and it just feels like it's the same air? I haven't opened the window because it's too cold out, but I'm just dealing with the same air.

[Courtney Mason]

I totally get that, especially right now. The flu is raging, the norovirus is spiking, and I want to stay warm, but it just feels stale. Right. This is where the air purifier we were talking about a bit before is a great investment. Honestly, it's a great investment year round. You will get 365 days of use out of it. But especially in the winter when, like you're saying, we're indoors a lot, we're running the heat, we're keeping the windows closed, germs are spreading. We're just sitting in our own air. Air purifiers are great, and at the Spruce, we have spent countless hours testing air purifiers in our lab because they are so important to household health and fresh air. Our top pick is from Levoit, and you can buy it online, you can buy it on Amazon, you can buy it on Target. They have a couple of different models, they have a couple of different price points for different sized rooms, and they also make our best overall humidifier, which could be a great companion to your air purifier. Users of humidifiers often find that it keeps their skin feeling hydrated they feel just like a little bit, you know, healthier. The room feels a little bit more comfortable, especially running it at night. They get all those benefits. So those devices can be really good for moving the stale feeling air through your space.

[Listener]

Do you have any final comments that.

[Alison Stewart]

You want to tell our listeners about?

[Listener]

Did I not ask about anything?

[Courtney Mason]

I think the biggest thing is even though it's been super cold over the past couple of days, it's not too late to start any of these projects that we've talked about. It will be cold for a long time, unfortunately. So get started this weekend. There's no time like the present and it really doesn't have to cost a lot or take a lot of time. And you can keep yourself warm.

[Alison Stewart]

Courtney Mason, she's general manager of the Spruce.

[Listener]

Thanks for talking to us about winterproofing our homes.

[Courtney Mason]

Stay warm, stay warm.

[Alison Stewart]

Coming up, it's another installment of our series Small Big Opinions.

[Listener]

On Monday, an expert cheesemonger joins me in Student Referee.

[Alison Stewart]

The question what is your favorite cheese and why?

[Listener]

Get ready to call in with your deeply felt opinions.

[Alison Stewart]

I'm Alison Stewart. I appreciate you listening and I appreciate you.

[Listener]

I will meet you back here next Monday.

[Alison Stewart]

Have a great weekend.

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