There are a lot of things to look forward to when the cold temperatures arrive: Refreshing your wardrobe with a new winter coat, sitting around a fire pit or taking a winter vacation.
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temperatures → be → vacation
What isn’t as exciting is all of the home maintenance that comes with heavy snowfall and freezing temperatures.
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Aside from trying to clear your driveway with a snow blower or getting ice off your windows, your home may feel drafty or (worse) your pipes might freeze.
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pipes → try → windows
This is why learning how to insulate your home is important.
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learning → learn → home
I spoke with home improvement, appliance and HVAC experts to learn more about different ways to insulate your home with affordable and accessible supplies available online, like tap and sealant.
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I → speak → tap
The best products for insulating your home in 2026
All of the products below are either recommendations from our experts or NBC Selected team of shopping experts, or have at least a four-star average rating from 500 or more shoppers on Amazon.
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All → insulate → Amazon
One of the easiest (and most affordable) ways to help insulate your home is by using a draft guard, according to Lou Manfredini*, a home expert at Ace Hardware.
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One → help → Hardware
Also called draft stoppers, door sweeps and draft snakes, these products are extremely straightforward: They block wind from creeping under your door and creating a draft throughout your home.
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With that said, there are a few different types of draft guards, such as this one from Grotheory, which has two long panels that attach to each side of your door.
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Each panel can cover up to a 1.5-inch gap between the floor and the bottom of the door.
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panel → cover → door
The panels are 39 inches long, but you can cut them to fit your door.
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You can put a panel on just one side or on both sides of the door, and installation takes only a few minutes, according to the brand.
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installation → put → brand
* Ace Hardware may earn revenue from any products recommended by Manfredini that are sold at Ace Hardware.
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that → earn → Hardware
This door sweep serves the same purpose as the GroTheory one mentioned above, but it has a different structure and form of installation.
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Instead of two panels that block each side of the bottom of the door, this door sweep has two foam padded blocks that fit around the sides of the door, and the bottom is a small flat panel that goes directly under it.
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It works for gaps that are between 0.5 to 1.7 inches.
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This type of draft guard is best for doors that don’t sit super high from the ground, but still let a substantial amount of wind or cold air inside.
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It fits door frames that are between 30 and 36 inches, according to the brand.
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Plus, each of the foam blocks has a cover that’s sealed with Velcro, so it doesn’t look like raw foam just hanging at the bottom of your door.
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Another way to insulate your home, whether you’re a homeowner or apartment dweller, is using blackout curtains, according to Dan Raysby, an HVAC manager at Abt Appliances and Electronics.
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you → insulate → Appliances
“If you have a home that is older and has old windows, installing thermal curtains can make a big difference,” he says.
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“Installing throw rugs or carpeting insulates and helps keep the cold out as well.
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These curtains aren’t only for blocking out light — they have thermal properties thanks to the way they’re woven and they have a sun-reflective coating that helps balance temperature indoors, according to the brand.
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And from a design and decor perspective, they loop on the back side to hide the rod.
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Another effective and easy way to insulate your home is by using a peelable and removable sealant (called weather stripping), which usually comes in a roll, similar to packing tape or a material similar in texture to caulk.
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Manfredini recommends applying weather stripping around windows and doors, as well as caulking the base trim to the floor to reduce drafts.
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You can apply this sealing tape around the edges of your window frame to prevent air from coming through.
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Similar to tape, you can cut it to the preferred length.
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This seal is also ideal for preventing drafts around window air conditioners, vents and door frames, according to the brand.
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seal → prevent → brand
While this may resemble a form of crown molding, it functions similarly to caulk or a piece of weather stripping tape.
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it → resemble → tape
It’s a polyurethane material that comes in a roll and has a wedge shape that allows it to fit securely between cracks.
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It has an adhesive strip in the back to attach to a surface, like your window or door frame.
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You can also adjust the length and shape of the adhesive strip to help it fit more securely, such as around corners or edges.
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it → adjust → corners
This caulk comes recommended by Manfredini* and functions in the same way as regular caulking that you might use to seal the edges around fixtures in your bathroom, except it is clear, removable and meant for window frames and vents.
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it → recommend → frames
You apply it around the cracks on a window frame and allow it to dry for about 10 minutes.
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If you have to remove it, you can simply strip it away.
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Aside from drafts, it also helps block water and is suitable to use indoors and outdoors.
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it → help → water
Ace Hardware may earn revenue from any products recommended by Manfredini that are sold at Ace Hardware.
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that → earn → Hardware
A separate option to try when insulating your home is a door frame cover, such as this one.
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The closures of the covers are filled with more than 50 magnets, so they seal closed securely.
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…and 35 more, not listed.
The Aporia
