Winterizing Your Home

Winterizing Your Home

The warm summer days have come and gone and soon it will be the warmth within your home that seems the most inviting. Is your home up to par and ready to brave the freezing temperatures that accompany the snow and ice from Old Man Winter?

Winterizing and weatherproofing your home can help prevent any unexpected, not so friendly surprises like failing furnaces, busted pipes, and furry pest visitors.

We’ve got a list of tips on winterizing your home both inside and out so you can enjoy the warmth of your cozy home with less worry!

-Check your thermostat to ensure it works. Lowering the temperature about 10 degrees for eight hours a day (perhaps when you aren’t home) may save you up to 10% a year.

-Change your furnace filter if needed. This need varies depending on your furnace type.

-Make sure the furnace pilot light is lit.

-Ensure the glass of your windows is in good condition and fits snug in the frame. You can hang plastic or shrink wrap over windows to keep the heat from escaping.

-Find any air leaks around doors and windows and fill them with caulking or low-expansion foam insulation.

-Check insulation in your walls and attic. Replace anything old or inefficient.

-Heat rises! Reverse your ceiling fan to help circulate warm air that gathers near the ceiling. You want the fan blades to rotate clockwise.

-If you have a fireplace, clean it and inspect the chimney. You want to remove any obstructions from the chimney like leaves or bird nests. Placing a screen or chimney cap over the top can help you avoid any problems in the future.

-Make sure your fireplace and wood stove are even working properly; your local fire department could do this for you, sometimes for free!

-Cover permanently installed air conditioning units, or remove window units. Make sure any central air conditioning units are turned off to prevent accidental use; cover them with protective material to block snow and is (this is where you can lose 60% of your heated air).

-Clean the roof to remove the year’s accumulation of dirt, leaves, and debris. If you have deep snow accumulations the excess weight could stress the roof. Use a shovel or broom to make this easier.

-Look for any damage on the roof or missing shingles that need repairing before a major storm hits!

-Clean out the gutters surrounding the roof and the downspouts.

-Check window wells surrounding the basement. Remove any debris and ensure the windows are damage free. Installing plastic window shields could be helpful.

-Rake away leaves and rotting vegetation from the foundation of your home.

-Move trash, recycling containers, or any woodpiles at least 20ft from your house. Such collections invite rodents and other pests to invade your home to get close to the warmth.

-Drain garden hoses and sprinkler systems.

-Trim any tree branches hanging over your home and remove any dead trees.

These are just a few, but there are many energy and money saving tips to help with winterizing your home. Are you ready?