Winter Preparation - Household Checklist

10/31/2016 (Permalink)

Prepare your house for the winter months

As we approach our last month of fall, and while the weather is still fairly mild, now is the time to prepare your home for winter. It's coming, and unfortunately will be here before we know it! Here are some tips you can do to ensure your home will be prepared when the temperature start dropping and the snow starts falling. 

1. Check Windows and Doors for Drafts
Did you know that a simple 1/8th inch gap running the length of your door can equal the same surface area as a brick missing from the exterior of your house? Most drafts around doors and windows can be easily fixed by installing weatherstripping or caulking around windows.

2. Insulate Plumbing and Pipes
A few minutes of prevention at the onset of winter can save you hundreds of dollars on costly damage and repairs to pipes and plumbing. Insulate pipes or use heat tape or a thermostatically controlled heat cable to prevention pipe bursts. Jump into action now, and prevent major issues in the future.

3. Replace summer screens with winter storm doors and windows
Replacing screens with storm doors will keep the rain and cold out and make the inside of your home nice and cozy.

4. Secure dryer vents and air intakes
While it is a good idea for any air intake to be covered with a wire or mesh prevention barrier year round, animals may take advantage of any openings more aggressively once winter sets in.

5. Clear Debris from Gutter Downspouts
Precipitation in a short amount of time from winter storms means excess runoff and potential flooding. Gutters and downspouts are the first line of defense in keeping the inside of your home dry. Make sure the downspouts are free of debris and that water is directed away from your home's foundation. If water runs away from your foundation, odds are that the rest of your home's moisture defenses will do their job.

6. Replace Furnace Filters
Furnace filters keep excess dust and particles from circulating from your home and help your furnace operate more efficiently. Some furnaces have metal filters that can be cleaned by rinsing them or vacuuming them out, others are disposable and need to be thrown out and replaced.

7. Drain and store garden hoses and shut off exterior water spigots
Disconnecting and draining garden hoses and other exterior irrigation will greatly extend their life or prevent bursting.

8. Check attic for proper air ventilation and insulation
Have you ever checked to see if your attic is adequately insulated? If not, check out this article on how to determine how much insulation is necessary for your region.

9. Add more insulation
If you do not have enough insulation, adding more will go a long way to reduce your heating bill.

10. Install a programmable thermostat.
A programmable thermostat is a great idea for making your home more energy-efficient. 

Completing these items will help you enjoy the next season change worry free!