With winter around the corner, it’s time to prepare for rising energy costs and plummeting temperatures. If you’ve been looking for a simple guide for winterizing your home, we have a blueprint for getting your home ready for the cold months. With just a few preparations, you can ensure your home is ready to keep you warm while driving down energy costs.

Clean

Your winter preparation can start with a simple cleaning. If you have a fireplace or wood-burning stove, it’s wise to call a chimney professional to have them clean. Over the warmer months, buildup, such as birds building nests can occur. This can lead to a potentially harmful situation as you light fires. A professional chimney cleaner can double-check that your setup is safe and ready to go for winter.

This is also a prime opportunity to clean your furnace to determine whether it is ready for the winter months.

It’s also important to clean your gutters after the leaves have fallen. Clearing your gutters of debris will make sure they can handle all the wet weather winter throws at them while protecting your roof.

Weatherproof Doors and Windows

Simply adding weather-stripping to your doors and windows can have a major impact on energy costs. You can use weather-resistant caulk to seal any cracks near window and door frames.

How to Winterize Your Yard: Protecting Trees and Shrubs

How To Winterize Your Garden Tools

Dog coats to keep your pup protected and warm this winter

Insulate

Aside from weatherproofing your doors and windows, one of the best ways to keep the warmer air in and cut energy costs during the winter is to insulate your home. Proper insulation often begins in the largest space in the home: the attic. Insulation comes in rolls, making it relatively easy to put in place.

It’s extremely important to insulate any exposed pipes. If pipes freeze, they could burst, causing bathrooms, kitchens or the entire home to flood. Pipe covers can be found at most major hardware stores. You can also leave a dripping faucet in the bathroom and kitchen sinks to prevent the pipes from freezing.

Another option to prevent frozen pipes is to use heating tape. The heating tape must be connected to electricity, so be sure that you’re comfortable handling this task before beginning. When in doubt, hire a professional plumber or electrician to install.

Consider Upgrades

If you have already completed the above winterization tips and you’re looking for a more robust way to get your home ready for the winter, then it could be time for upgrades. Perhaps the best upgrades you can invest in when it comes to winterization are storm windows and double pane windows.

These windows are made to insulate your home more efficiently than the old-style single-pane windows. Even if you are still using single-pane windows and aren’t quite ready to upgrade, there is a way you can insulate them. By using plastic wrap and weather tape, you can winterize your windows to help them be more efficient and keep the cold air out. After applying the plastic wrap and weather tape, a warm blow dryer can help get a snug fit.

Another excellent investment is upgrading your thermostat. Using a programmable thermostat or a smart thermostat can be a great way to keep a handle on your indoor climate year-round, not just in the winter months. With a smart thermostat, you can monitor your indoor temps no matter where you are. You can set them to the eco setting while you’re away.

A Few Last Items to Remember

Over the winter months, you could find yourself needing to bring in pets and plants. Prep ahead of time by readying a space just for them, so that when the time arises, you’re ready.

Another last-minute item to remember - if you have ceiling fans, be sure to reverse their direction to help them circulate warm air.

With winter coming up in the next few months, the time to winterize is now. If you follow all the tips in this guide, you can ensure that you stay cozy at home while also keeping your energy costs as low as possible!

Report a Typo