Following winter preparation tips for your home can help you to protect your home, and avoid many of the problems that occur during the winter. Simple winter preparation tips for your home are easy to follow and will help you to have peace of mind.
Winter can be a harsh time for your home. Doing a little prep work can go a long way in ensuring that your home makes it through the winter with few problems. These easy to follow winter preparation tips for your home can help you to save money, time, and a ton of stress.
What Should Take Priority In Your Preparation?
There are some things on the winter preparation tips for your home that have to take priority. Some things you absolutely have to have in place to ensure that your home is safe and comfortable for the winter.
When you think about winter, one of the first things that come to mind is heating. Your home must have an efficient, dependable heating system for those long cold months of winter. The time to give your heating system some attention is before the winter.
It is a good idea to have some maintenance done on your system before the crush of the busy season. A heating services company can run a check on your system and can make any repairs before the season gets underway.
As a rule of thumb you should have your system maintenance done every year to ensure safety, function, and reliability for the upcoming season. There are a few reasons for getting a pro to come out and take a look is important:
- It can be a cost savings. Having your system well maintained can help to extend the life of your system. It can also help you to avoid costly emergency repair calls.
- It can help reduce stress. Knowing that your heating system is ready for the season delivers peace of mind and gives you one less thing to worry about.
- You can take control of the situation. If there are necessary part replacements or repairs, you can get ahead of them by doing them on your terms instead of waiting for a failure. You can get better energy efficiency out of your system by having a professional diagnose problems, and make suggestions on how to improve your system.
Taking care of how you heat your home will pay off tremendously during the winter months with worry-free operation.
What Else Needs to be On Top Of the List for Winter Preparation?
Depending on where you live, winters can be hazardous times. For the next winter preparation tips for your home, we have to go to the top. If your roof is in disrepair, the time to address it is ASAP. It may not make through another winter.
Snow and ice can really do a number on a roof. If your roof is 15 years or older you should already be having roof inspections just to keep an eye on things. Roofers can evaluate your roof, make necessary repairs to extend the life of your current roof and provide you with affordable options for replacement.
Winter preparation tips for your home are all about preventing the damage that the cold weather can cause. A solid roof is a must especially if you are in a region where snow and ice are prevalent during the winter months.
A damaged roof is a weak roof and is not doing the job it is intended to do. The winter can exacerbate existing damage and make matters worse. Calling an experienced roofing company and letting them manage the problem is the best way to protect your home from serious damage this winter.
Many roofing companies do not just offer roofing services they typically offer other services that are connected to your roofing needs, like gutter services, awning services, and more. You can get all the things done that you need to get done to help protect your home this winter when it comes to diverting snow, ice, and melting away from your home.
A roofing issue is a serious issue that needs to be corrected quickly. Most people think of a roof problem like a leak, but the fact is a faulty roofing system can lead to serious foundation problems as well.
Before winter gets here, make sure you have your roof system checked out, and address any necessary repairs. It is always best to address problems head-on when it comes to your home.
Winter Preparation Tips for Your Home that You Can Do Yourself
Making sure your home is winterized properly is vital to energy efficiency, safety, comfort, and to help keep down repair costs. A few simple winter preparation tips for your home that you can do on your own that will greatly reduce the risk of problems and costs include:
- Disconnect hoses and cover the spigots. Outdoor water hoses should be disconnected before the first hard frost, and the spigots should be covered. You can buy an outdoor spigot cover from your local home improvement store or you can just use an old towel. Above all else, don’t leave any metal or aluminum components exposed to the elements!
- Insulate any exposed pipes. Drain pipes and other water pipes should be insulated. You can buy pipe insulation which are foam tubes that have split openings to make it easy to slide over the pipe.
- Take outdoor furniture in or cover it. Protecting your outdoor furniture will ensure that you do not have to replace it next year.
Taking a few steps, like putting yard furniture away or covering it, will help you be better prepared for the winter and the upcoming spring.
Check for energy saps around the home. Typical culprits when it comes to sapping your home heating energy are windows and doors. Gaps around windows and doors can let the elements in, and suck the heat right out. There are simple things that you can do that will help to winterize your home and improve your energy efficiency this winter:
- Buy and use insulation kits for windows and doors. Window and door insulation kits are relatively inexpensive. They are easy to install and can make a tremendous difference in the comfort of your home
- Insulate your electric outlets. If you remove the plate from the front of your outlets in most cases you will find that there is no insulation behind them. You can actually feel the cold coming right through them. Outlet insulation, again bought at your local home improvement store, can help.
- Change out your window dressing. Heavy-duty drapes can act as a blanket on your windows and cut down on energy costs.
Doing what you can to up the insulation around your home and to keep the cold out can help to reduce the amount of energy that you use this winter and also take some of the wear and tear off of your heating system.
Let’s Get the Garden Ready for the Winter
Before it gets too cold out, you want to trim and prune all of your bushes and trees. This is also a great time to plant any new trees that you want for the spring. You can plant many different types of bulbs before the coldest part of the winter, as well.
If you have a wood deck now is a good time to seal the deck before the freezing temperatures. Wood is porous and can become damaged when water is left to freeze on the untreated surface. If you did not get it done in the spring the fall is a good time to get it done.
If you have a pool get that cover on. If you have a small porch pond, consider draining it or moving it into the garage. Get the plants indoors that you want to save that are in pots, and cover your garden beds with layers of mulch to get them ready for next spring.
A layer of hay can also be used to help protect fragile plants that may not be able to tolerate the coldest temperatures of the winter. Taking steps now will help to ensure that your gardens have a head start in the spring.
What You Should Check To Prep for Winter
If you have a septic system, you’ll want to check your septic system before the winter gets underway. Professional drain cleaning is a good idea to ensure that your drains are running smoothly before the winter sets in.
Having your septic pumped and cleaned out every 3 years is just a part of regular home maintenance, and having your drains cleaned out at the same time is a good idea. Doing both before the winter can help you to avoid any issues that can be compounded by the cold weather.
A clogged drain in the winter can easily freeze, expand, and cause your pipes to break. It is always best to do the maintenance, and ensure that your drains are running well before the winter. And if you have a fishing boat stored in your garage or a shed nearby, make sure it’s also drained completely of any excess water.
Winter preparation tips for your home focus mostly on prevention because it is always best to prevent a problem then it is to have to pay to correct the problem. For example, replacing your water heater before the bottom falls out and you flood out your home, is far better than dealing with the problem after the flood.
Tankless water heater replacement in the fall can help you save tons on your energy costs, and of course, prevent any issues from your old faulty water heater. Keeping your home in top condition is a year-round activity that does not begin or end with the spring.
Winter preparation tips for your home include ensuring that your home is secure. You should be doing security checks of your property semi-annually, in the spring and the fall. Check your security system to ensure that it is working right, if you do not have one, now is a good time to consider the available security solutions.
Check outdoor lighting to ensure that all bulbs are working. Keep bushes trimmed so that you can see over them, and follow other security suggestions for your home from the experts. Winter holidays are a prime time for break-in’s making sure your home has the security systems in place now can help you to deter the thieves.
Winter Preparation Tips for Your Home And Remodeling
Winter is holiday time. Getting ready for the holidays can include some upgrades. For example, countertop replacement can be a great way to upgrade your kitchen, and get ready to cook those great family meals.
Planning early for those home upgrades is a great way to beat the rush. A lot of homeowners gift themselves with house upgrades around the holidays. It not only improves your home but it also makes your home more welcoming for holiday guests.
If you’re looking to spruce up your home for the winter and impress your family during the holidays, considering updating your floors. Thankfully, this is something can be done nicely without breaking the bank. Tiling can be placed that’s relatively cheap and still looks nice, as well as potentially removing your flooring to see what’s underneath. Refinishing your floors can have a big impact on the look even if you don’t replace them with anything else, too. Also, if you’re looking to add carpet and make a room a bit cozier, this is a very cheap option to consider.
Upgrading your home does not have to stop because it is wintertime, but you should get anything done outdoors before the coldest part of the winter hits. For example, if you have been considering improving the asphalt paving in your driveway, the time to get that done is before the really cold weather sets in.
Dealing with a shabby driveway can help you to deal with the winter weather, and of course, it will ramp up your homes curb appeal. Repairing a damaged driveway can help to make your property safe, especially during the dangerous winter months.
Upgrades can deliver dual benefits, they can make your home a better place to live, and they can up the value of your home. Pre-winter remodeling is a great opportunity. Of course, if you upgrade areas of your home that are focused on improving energy efficiency, then you also get to enjoy savings as well.
Final Winter Preparation Tips for Your Home
A little work can go a long way in being ready for the long months in the house. Some final tips include ensuring that you get your chimney cleaned before you use it for the first time this winter. Creosote can build up in wood-burning fireplaces and catch on fire.
Get all the supplies you will need to clear paths, sidewalks, and driveways around your home. Shovels, ice scrapers, and salt will come in handy. If you buy it now you will not have to worry about getting to the store in time to buy it for the next snowstorm.
Following the winter preparation tips for your home is something you will be glad you did. Doing a little prep work can go a long way in making sure you have a great winter experience.