When the weather gets colder, we bundle up to keep warm and cozy until the spring thaw. But what about your home? Ensuring that your home is ready for the winter season is an important home maintenance task that can save your home from costly damages and keep your utility bills in check. Read on to learn how to get your home ready for winter in just five easy steps!
Prepare Your Pipes
Plumbing is one of your home’s most important systems, but it is also the one that is most vulnerable to cold. Pipes left unattended can freeze and burst, leaving you with expensive repair bills and a whole lot of cleanup on your hands. To avoid bursting and freezing pipes, winterize them by:
- Turning off your outdoor faucets and flushing your outdoor irrigation system
- Draining water from outdoor hoses and properly storing them for the season
- Properly insulating your hot water heater or the room where it is stored
- Applying additional insulation to pipes that run outside of your home
- Using heat tape to keep pipes warm
Call the Chimney Sweep
A poorly maintained chimney carries the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning! The key to safely using your fireplace is to have it cleaned and inspected regularly. Before you use your fireplace for the first time this year, call your local chimney sweep for a cleaning and inspection. Then, make any repairs that are needed so you can enjoy your fireplace with confidence all winter long.
Get a Heater Tune-Up
Your fireplace isn’t the only heating system that needs some TLC! After a spring and summer of dormancy, your heating system could use some attention as well. Call your local HVAC company to schedule an inspection and a tune-up. This will ensure that your heating system is in good condition and working properly—like a poorly maintained fireplace, a malfunctioning heating system can cause carbon monoxide poisoning or other illnesses for your family. An inspection can address any dangerous issues and will lower the risk that your heat will go out on the coldest night of the year. Your wallet will thank you too—a properly functioning heat system uses less energy and can help save on your utility costs.
Seal Up Your House
Just because your windows and doors are closed doesn’t mean your home is airtight. Gaps that form between walls, windows and your door frames can let in drafts and let out all of that heat you are paying for. To keep your home warm and your energy bills down, caulk around your windows and doors to fill in gaps that might be letting the cold in. While you’re at it, replace worn weather stripping around your doors to keep out cold drafts and make your home warmer.
Weather-Proof Your Roof
You might not give much thought to your roof, but during the wintertime you certainly should. While missing or damaged shingles may have gone unnoticed in the warmer months, you will surely notice a difference once the temperature drops. Take the time to inspect your roof (or hire a professional to do so) for loose, damaged or missing shingles. Make any repairs necessary to ensure your roof is watertight and ready for freezing rain and snow. While you’re up there, take this opportunity to clear out your gutters, too. Having clean and clear gutters (especially after a season full of falling leaves) will lower your risk of water buildup, frozen drains and roof leaks.
Check out our latest blogs for even more home ownership tips!
