Weather stripping is so important that the United States Department of Energy has a page dedicated to it on its website. Doors and windows that leak air can lead to a significant amount of wasted energy – which is why applying weather stripping to specific areas in your home is essential. Leaky doors and windows can cause your home to lose heat. When a home loses heat, it feels cold. A cold home leads homeowners to crank up their thermostat and force their furnace to work overtime. When a furnace must work extra-hard to heat a home, it often breaks. This can lead to costly furnace repairs.

Nobody wants to deal with furnace repair service calls during the wintertime. Furnace repairs can be expensive, and a cold home for an extended period of time is never comfortable. To help prevent the need for furnace repairs this winter, make sure your house is properly sealed with weather stripping. The application of weather stripping is inexpensive, and when done correctly can lead to significant savings on your monthly heating bill.

Weather stripping can be easily applied to:

• Windows
• Doors
• Cracks
• Gaps
• Door Thresholds
• Outlets
• Wall Sockets
• Switches
• Anything other area that might leak air

There are several types of weather stripping available. If you would like advice on which type to apply, ask your furnace repair technician or consult with an employee at your local hardware store. Your goal should be to seal your home as efficiently as possible. Keep in mind that you might benefit from utilizing different types of weather stripping in different areas of your home.

Give Your Furnace a Break!
Once weather stripping is effectively applied in and around your home, you may instantly notice that your home is warmer during the wintertime – all while your furnace is running less frequently. You may also notice a less frequent need to call a furnace repair technician for emergency furnace repairs. Weather stripping is an excellent tool that should be utilized by all homeowners.

What Type of Weather Stripping is Best?
The U.S. Department of Energy’s website contains a helpful weather stripping chart that lists the various types that are available, the places each type is used the most effectively, the cost, and the advantages and disadvantages of each variety. Some of the weather stripping variations included in the chart include: foam, tape, magnetic, silicone, felt, and more.

If you would like more information on how weather stripping can help your furnace function more efficiently, make sure to discuss the matter with your furnace repair service technician. There are many reasons that weather stripping should be applied to your windows and doors – with two of the most important being that weather stripping saves energy and it also reduces the burden placed on your furnace during the winter.