As winter approaches, it’s time to get your home ready for the coming cold temperatures, ice and snow. How well you prepare your home this fall not only lower your heating bills, but help to curb your spring repair bills as well. Below are just a few things you’ll want to remember to do to prepare your home for winter:
12 Home Winterization Tips:
- Caulk your baseboards. Just a thin bead of caulk can help cover small cracks that let in an air draft.
- Inspect your doors. Look for any gaps where warm air can escape your home.
- Install door sweeps. Door sweeps under exterior doors and basement and attic entries will help keep cold air out.
- Make sure windows are locked down. This will prevent small cracks around the windows from letting in cold air. Another option is to seal the windows with weatherstripping tape around the edges.
- Remove any window-mounted air-conditioning units.
- Check the fireplace. Make sure that it’s in proper working condition and ready for that first cold day.
- Check the heating system and change the filter. Having your furnace serviced in the fall can extend the life of the unit.
- Inspect your ductwork. It’s also a good idea to inspect any ductwork and seal it with metal-foil tape instead of duct tape, which gets brittle and falls off. Make sure the ducts have been recently cleaned.
- Check your water system. Make sure the pipes running to the hot water tank are insulated with foam-wrapping. If pipes within the home are located too close to exterior walls, those pipes can freeze. Avoid this by simply leaving under-sink cabinets open to warm air or purchasing a freeze alarm to install near vulnerable pipes.
- Check exterior water sources. Be sure that hoses, sprinklers and water to exterior faucets are drained and turned off.
- Clean your gutters. After the majority of the leaves have fallen, clean your gutters to prevent clogs and water damage to your shingles, which can come from heavy rain or snow melt.
- Add attic insulation. Adding insulation to the attic and under the house can be an expensive project, but can also have a significant payback in reducing your winter heating bills.
Getting your home ready for winter doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Just tackle a few of our home winterization tips each day and you’ll be ready for cold weather season before you know it.