As the weather cools down, you’ll want to make sure your home is winterized well before the snow, sleet, and freezing temperatures come. When new homeowners purchase their home, taking care of these things are rarely high on the list, but they should be. Don’t worry if you haven’t given these things much thought. Keep reading for our exhaustive checklist for winterizing your home.
What does it mean to winterize your home?
To put it plainly, winterizing your home means to prepare it for winter and winter use. Some people hear this term and think it only applies if you are going to be leaving your home vacant; however, it is just as important if you’ll be living it in during the cold months. Our checklist will walk you through how to winterize both inside and outside of your home so freezing pipes and clogged vents preventing airflow will be the least of worries this winter.
How to Winterize the Inside of Your Home
Getting the inside of your home prepared will help maximize your resources and save money at the same time. Make note of the following suggestions and do a little bit at a time. By the time winter comes the inside of your home will be ready for whatever mother nature brings.
Tips for Winterizing
Pipes
Depending on the year your home was built, you may want to consider replacing old, rusted pipes that are prone to freezing, cracking and bursting. Of course this could cost a pretty penny so only do it if it’s absolutely necessary. Other pipes can simply be insulated as is. Pipes you’ll want to make sure are insulated are those found in crawl spaces, attics, and other non-heated areas.
Prevent Drafts
Look for spaces in doors and windows and apply a treatment to prevent cold air from seeping in. Quick fix remedies involve applying draft guards to doors, and caulk to frames of windows and doors. If you have a fireplace and don’t plan to use it, make sure to have it sealed off.
Vents
Check all vents – especially the dryer one – to make sure there aren’t any clogs. If you find any of them to be clogged, it’s best to get these professionally cleaned. Also remember to open the vents linked to your heating system to create good quality air flow.
Filters
Depending on the kind of filters you have will determine how often you need to change them… but don’t forget! Consider marking the change dates on your calendar and keeping enough in stock for a quick swap.
Other Things to Consider
To top off winterizing the inside of your home, consider these other tips:
- Check the temperature on your hot water tank to make sure it’s within a reasonable range.
- Switch the spin on your ceiling fans to counterclockwise to help move the warm air down.
- Change the batteries in your smoke (and carbon monoxide) detectors.
- Get those warm blankets out of storage and prepare them to be used.
How to Winterize the Outside of Your Home
Getting the outside of your home winter-ready doesn’t take much, but this little bit can go a long way when you’re looking to enhance the safety of your property. Note these practical tips, and again, just do a little bit every so often leading up to winter and you’ll be all set:
- Clean out your gutters and consider adding gutter guards to protect them from filling up with debris.
- Install heavy duty doors, screen doors, and/or windows to protect from extreme weather conditions.
- Bring outdoor items such as grills, patio furniture, and the like inside the garage or a storage unit.
- Keep water hoses disconnected and sprinkler systems shut off during the cold months.
- Check crawl spaces and close the outdoor vents that are usually opened during the summertime.
Adjusting your home for winter use may seem like a big job, but broken up into smaller projects completed over time will have your new home nice and cozy with no issues arising once winter sets in.
Michelle is a freelance writer, blogger, and author of several Amazon best-selling nonfiction books. Her work has appeared on sites such as Yes I Can Help You, JustinaFord, Mom For All Seasons, Christian Marriage Adventures, and Proverbs 31 Mentor. She has worked side-by-side with well-known business women such as Wendi Schenkel, Carla Du Pont and Dr. Radisha Brown. It is Michelle’s desire to make your words become a reality through her gift of writing. You can share her passion on her blog, The Healing Life, and acquire information about working with her at Michelle Huddleston Services.