Weatherproofing doors & windows in the winter

If you live in a house that has been remodeled by hippies and hillbillies over the last 80 years, you may live in a house like mine. Often I find myself covering doors with blankets in the winter; stuffing plastic grocery bags in cracks and crevices; placing rugs in doorways between rooms; in addition to covering my porch in plastic to make a greenhouse which also blocks the cold and wind on the South side which simultaneously traps sun rays/heat. I also use trash bags/sheets of plastic to cover the windows in the winter. I've seen people use bubble wrap for windows as well, which also creates an artsy appeal.

I realize this is probably the many ways poor people attempt to keep their house warmer in the winter time. But every house has cracks and crevices that cold air and winds come through--especially around the doors and windows. But because I have holes and cracks in places of the floor in my house, I have to cover those particularly well to keep out the cold. Obviously I am not so poor I'm not using some kind of heating system. I am privileged enough to using gas heat via two wall units. And if it gets any colder, we use the portable heaters. I am disheartened by the many people that because of homelessness and forced out of society, that will either die or suffer the cold outdoors. I have slept outside when it was 50 degrees, and even 30 degrees and I complained; and I've slept outside when it was 9 degrees, but I had many blankets and another person to keep me "warm."

Something many people around my area use is a wood stove. My grandpa cuts dead trees to use to burn for his wood stove. It is hard to come across wood for free, but he gets some that are discarded at pallet/saw mills, wood on the side of the road, he drags wood from his woods, and I give him logs that I have dragged from my neck of the woods. My grandpa also grows trees around his house to block cold winds in the winter, and shade the house to keep cool in the summer.

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I grow over 15 potted (tropical) plants in the house right now, so this is also adds to the humidity. It is a good idea to get a humidifier as well for those humidity-loving tropical plants, which will also add moisture and warmth when it often seems dry in the house in winter. 

Recently I have been using weatherstripping that is adhesive-backed foam you put around the the doorstop (seen in the picture.) I say I have been using this weatherstripping because I have been reapplying it and taking it off to put new stripping on since I have 5 cats outdoors that tear it into pieces. They claw at the stripping and completely tear it off, so I'm continually reapplying because I have the stripping outside of the door. So as I was looking for new options to keep the cats from doing this, I wanted to show you some of the ways I'm going to weatherproof my home this winter. 

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Obviously, if you have a fireplace in your home, block the top of the chimney from the cold with plastic tarp and use rope to hold it in place. Cover the fireplace on the inside too. Double up on your drapes for the windows at night time. In the day, open the curtains/drapes to let sun in. A blog here will show you other ways to weatherproof your home and keep your house warm in the winter: 20 frugal ways to keep your house warm.

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 Also, you can do what I did with my porch and turn it into a "greenhouse" by covering it in plastic. In the pictures below is the hillbilly rigging style to turning the porch into a greenhouse. With the materials I had around my house, I screwed nail screws into scraps of wood that held the plastic in place to the roof and poles of the porch. I also laid down plastic on the floor boards to block additional cold air/winds. Additionally, I have the bottom ends of the plastic being held by bricks and cinder blocks. Like I said, I have five cats outdoors and also a dog, so this "greenhouse" was really a place for all the animals to stay warm in the winter. I assembled a tunnel system using shelves and things for the cats, and covering that with a blanket. Also laying blankets down for the dog to sleep on. These are some privileged cats and dog too because I put their blankets in the dryer to heat them. And then wrap the animals in blankets to stay warm throughout the night.