Eliminating drafts in your house not only makes for a cozier home, but it can improve heating efficiency by up to 50 percent.

Here's a simple trick for detecting drafts:
1. Move a lit candle along the edges and faces of your windows, doors, and moldings -- even your light switches and sockets.

2. If the flame flickers, there's a draft nearby. Mark the spot and continue your search.

3. Once you've pinpointed the trouble spots, go back and eliminate them by sealing whichever gap the air is sneaking in from.

4. This can entail anything from reglazing a window to caulking around your baseboards and moldings to calling a chimney sweep. An expert at your home-improvement store can help you determine the best solutions for your particular problems and tell you what supplies you need. Sometimes the solution is as simple as hanging a curtain or placing a draft-blocking snake at the base of a door.