Warm floors, lower bills: my best winter upgrade yet

Funny, I’ve had the same issue with foam tape—never seems to hold up or comes off in pieces. Rope caulk’s a workhorse, though. I’ve found that sealing baseboards with it helps too, especially in older houses where drafts sneak in low. The plastic film kit’s a good call for windows you don’t need to open till spring. Not pretty, but it works.

Rope caulk’s saved my bacon more than once, but I’ll admit, it can look a bit rough if you’re not careful. For baseboards, I usually run a bead of clear silicone after the caulk—less draft, less mess when tenants move out. Plastic film’s ugly as sin but man, it cuts the chill. Just don’t expect miracles if your windows are ancient... sometimes you gotta pick your battles.