Take advantage of our unseasonably warm weather this month by preparing your home for winter. Protecting your home is vital. A frozen water pipe can burst and flood your house. Preparing now will mean one less thing you have to worry about when the snow starts coming.
How To Prepare Your Home for Winter
Follow these steps to prepare your home for winter.
Clean Out the Gutters
Now that the leaves are pretty much off the trees, it’s time to clean out the gutters. If you don’t, they may back up, overflow and allow water to run down your home. Water infiltration creates all kinds of problems. So, grab a ladder or a nifty gutter cleaning tool from Mountain Hardware and get it done.
Disconnect the Hoses
If you haven’t done this yet, disconnect and drain the hoses. If possible, shut off outside water valves. If you have a sprinkler system you’ll need to get the water blown out. Having a professional come out and do it is a lot cheaper than replacing a bunch of broken lines next year.
Clean Your Chimney and Stock Up On Firewood
Getting cozy near the fire on a winter day is a must! Set yourself up for success by cleaning your chimney and stocking up on firewood. Take the time to stack and cover the wood so it doesn’t get wet and rot. If you do have rotten wood, move it away from your home.
Test Your Smoke Alarms and Carbon Monoxide Detectors
Believe it or not, winter is the time most house fires happen. Check all o your smoke detectors to make sure they are working and get some spare batteries to keep on hand.
Prepare Your Lawn and Check Your Trees
To prepare your lawn for winter and set it up for a great spring, apply fertilizer with winterizer. Take a look at your trees and make sure they’re still healthy, especially trees that could fall on your home or a neighbor’s home. If you have branches up against your house, trim them down.
Cover Your Patio Furniture
It’s hard to keep patio furniture looking good year-after-year but covering it up in the winter is necessary if you want it to last. Cover it up on a clear warm day so you don’t trap moisture on it.
Seal Your Deck, Driveway, Walkways, and Patio
If you have a concrete patio, driveway or walkway, make sure they’re protected. Occasionally apply a concrete sealer to all of your flat exterior concrete surfaces. Chances are your deck is made of treated or rot-resistant wood. But, it still needs protection. To see if it needs to be stained and sealed, pour some water on it. If the water beads up, then you’re good. If the wood absorbs the water, it’s time to clean and seal the deck.
Insulate Walls and Attics, and Caulk and Weatherstrip Doors and Windows
Protect your home and your energy bills from the elements. Consider having a professional energy audit. To check your door seals, make sure you’re not seeing daylight around your exterior doors, and take a can of spray foam insulation and fill in around drafty holes.
Wrap Your Pipes
If you can, wrap water pipes in your basement or crawl spaces with insulation sleeves to slow heat transfer.
Clean Your Windows
Dirty windows are especially noticeable in the winter. They can make short, winter days feel depressing. So, do your self a favor and get them sparkling clean now while the temperatures are reasonable.
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Source:
Pierce, Justin. “Analysis | Use This Checklist to Prepare Your Home for Winter.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 2 Oct. 2018, www.washingtonpost.com/business/2018/10/01/use-this-checklist-prepare-your-home-winter/.
