How to Close an Unused Room to Save on Heating Bills
- 1). Check for leaks around windows and doors leading to the outside. Light an incense stick with a match or lighter until it smokes and then hold it near windows and doors to see if the smoke is pulled toward it. Locate leaks according to where the smoke from the stick is pulled or pushed the most. Test all windows and outside doors for leaks.
- 2). Fill any leaks, cracks, or holes around windows and doors with a window sealant or caulk. Follow manufacturer's directions to first clean and then fill the leaks completely. Also apply weather stripping to the parts of the windows and doors that open to further prevent leaks.
- 3). Cover all windows and doors to the outside with heavy curtains, blinds, or blankets and towels. You can also use Styrofoam sheets available at most home stores as insulation. This will further prevent leaks and cold seepage from the outside in. On top of this, staple or tape heavy plastic sheeting. No heating will be able to escape the house, nor cold get in, thus saving you on heating and energy bills.
- 4). Close all registers and heating ducts in the room. Close both intake and outflow vents. Cover these registers with purchased covers that screw into the wall, magnetic sheets made especially for this purpose, or any non-flammable material that can block any air leakage more effectively.
- 5). Keep the door to the room closed at all times for maximum savings on heating bills. Use foam-sided tape or weather stripping to surround the door to the house and keep heating from leaking into the room. You can also use a thick thrown rug or carpet eased up onto the door a bit to keep drafts from going under the door. A rolled up towel or premade draft excluder also works well.
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