Philadelphia rowhouses are built tough, but a hundred-year-old brick wall and a single-pane back window can make January feel long. This is the checklist our team runs through every October.
1. Find the drafts first
On a windy evening, walk the house with a lit incense stick or a strip of tissue. Wherever the smoke bends, air is getting in. Usual suspects: the back kitchen door, basement windows, the mail slot and old window sashes on the top floor.
- Add foam weatherstrip to doors that rattle in the frame.
- Use rope caulk around sash windows you won't open until spring.
- Put a draft snake at the bottom of the front door.
2. Heat the room you're in
Cranking the thermostat to warm one cold bedroom heats three floors you aren't using. A small ceramic heater takes the edge off a home office or nursery much faster.
3. Check every alarm on every floor
Winter is peak season for home fires. Press the test button on each smoke alarm, swap batteries in anything older than a year, and replace alarms that are ten years old. Older homes with original wiring are also worth a look for overheating outlets.
4. Keep a fire plan for the third floor
If the stairs are the only way down, the back bedroom needs a second way out. A folding escape ladder stored under the window, and a fire blanket by the stove, cover the two most common emergencies.
5. Make it cozy
Flannel or breathable cotton sheets, a weighted blanket on the couch and a good pillow make cold nights something to look forward to.
Ready to start? Everything above is on our Handy Gadgets and Safe at Home stalls.
By the Central Purchase team, Philadelphia.