Winte's here and with cooler temps comes the time when we have to think about what we need to do around our homes and property to get things ready for winter. In this article we will cover some of the things needed for winterizing your home and preparing your home for winter weather.
Home and Garden
Have you ever walked by your front door and felt a draft coming in from outside? Well that is a good place to start with winterizing your home. You can buy new weather stripping more commonly known as sweeps and install it along the bottom of your front and back doors. All Home Depot or hardware stores in your area should carry these so finding them should not be a problem. Check the electrical outlets that are located on walls facing to the outside because they also can be letting cold air in. Make sure you caulk around your windows if you feel drafts there as well. There are options in caulking and you can get some help with that too at your local hardware stores.
Leave the Chill Outside
No matter what year your home was built you can always add additional insulation in the attic. The best rule of thumb about whether or not you need to add more this year is if you can see the ceiling joists then you need more insulation. Like anything else that has a fluffy type of texture, over time it will compact down and you will need to add more to make it effective. So the best way to leave the chill of winter outside is to make sure your home has adequate insulation. Again asking advice about what to use at your local hardware or home store is advised.
Heater System Tune Ups
When you put a number of miles on your car you need an oil change or a tune-up. Well the same is true with the heating systems of your home. No matter whether you have a gas, oil or electric heating system it needs a tune-up. It needs to be serviced which usually means cleaning and in some cases parts replacement. This will help to give you the best heating efficiency from your system and also help to cut down on the cost of heating your home.
There are a few more little tips for winterizing that folks never think about doing. The first big little tip is to reverse your ceiling fan. People never think about that but the fan will force warm air downward and help it not get lost in your ceiling and then up into your attic or the floor above. If you have a fireplace you should always keep the damper closed when the fireplace is not being used. If you have pipes in a crawl space make sure they are wrapped and insulated. While you are checking pipes make sure you turn off your outside water for your hoses.
