How to Insulate Your Home with Leaves and Save Money on Heating

As the leaves begin to fall, do you worry about home heating costs? Put those leaves to good use as additional insulation! Leaves can serve as a fantastic insulator for basements and crawlspace drafts. It's an old New England tradition and it saves money bit time!

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Leaves
• Plastic Lawn Bags

1. Gather Leaves ~ Autumn leaves make great home insulation. You can rake them or collect them by a bagging mower. Either way, collect as many leaves as you can.
2. Dry Them ~ If weather conditions have been moist, your leaves may need to dry in the sun for a day or two. Simply build your leaf pile in a sunny spot. Turn every day to allow for as much drying as possible.
3. Bag the Leaves ~ Fill your plastic lawn bags with the leaves you've gathered. Do not use paper lawn bags as they will break down and compromise your insulation. As you bag the leaves, remove sharp sticks and debris that could poke holes in your bags. Seal the bags by knotting or tying with string.
4. Line them Up ~ Line the perimeter of your home with the bags of leaves. The bags should rest against your house and cover as much space as possible. Once you have covered the entire perimeter of your home, you may continue piling your bags for added insulation.

Tips & Warnings

• In windy areas, you may wish to anchor your bags by putting rocks in them.
• Do not place your bagged-leaf insulation near open flame, ignition, or any fire hazard.