Weatherproofing your home, Part 1: Doors and windows

Parts of Australia are already starting to experience the shift of the seasons, with rain and flooding affecting Queensland and New South Wales.

Communities such as Queensland's Gympie, will be in need of trash pumps to help clear floodwater after about 34 businesses were reported to be flooded in the CBD.

You can help to prepare your home for the cold wind and rains by weatherproofing your doors and windows.

Doors

Look around the exterior of your door and if you see any light coming through, then you can be sure that the cold air will seep through too, so make sure to seal these spaces.

You can also gauge the gaps around the bottom of your door by slipping a piece of white paper underneath, closing the door and then pulling out the paper slowly. You can measure the tightness of the seal by checking the amount of debris.

It may be necessary to add a backer rod to your door if you have a large gap that needs covering.

Windows

Use a simple candle trick to determine if air is seeping through closed windows. Hold a lit candle next to a sealed window, if the flame bends then there could be a draft.

You may want to consider re-caulking the area to help fill gaps and keep your windows sealed tight come winter.