Snow can be unforgiving to our homes. That’s why when this season comes, we need to doubly prepare our house in order to preserve its entirety. The last thing we want is enjoying the holiday festivities only to find leaks and water seepage through our walls and ceilings.
The good thing is winterizing your home shouldn’t be too hard. In fact, when you do it as early, as effectively and as religiously as possible, you don’t have to worry about expensive repairs.
But why do we really need to protect our home during winter?
Why should you winterize your home?
First, when you winterize your home, you are protecting it against possible leaks and water seepage. When your house is leak-proof from the roof down, you don’t have to worry about moisture entering the interior of your house because when it does, it’s going to make your house vulnerable to further damage.
Another reason as to why you should winterize your home is it saves you a ton of money on electric bills. Poorly ventilated and insulated homes during this season are going to cause owners burn a deep hole in their pockets In fact, the Department of Energy reports that “random air infiltration through gaps and cracks accounts for 25 to 40 percent of the energy loss in most residential structures.”
Market value is another reason why you should prepare your house for winter. When the time comes that you want to sell your house, it needs to have good bones and it should be in very sound condition. This is made possible by protecting it and preventing problems.
How to winterize your home
Now that you have a better idea as to why you must prepare your house for winter, it’s time to learn a few tips on how to winterize your home. From the easy to ingenious, here’s what we recommend you try.
- Inspect your gutters and downspouts
In a previous post, we’ve stressed the importance of having good downspouts and gutters. After all, the roof is your first line of protection against the snow. So as early as now, you should have a thorough inspection of your roof and the areas that surround it.
When you do spot problems, be sure to contact a professional to do the work for you. This is critical especially if you don’t have any experience in fixing roofs.
- Check for cracks and leaks
The next thing you should do is to check the entirety of your house for cracks and leaks. From the attic to the windows, you wouldn’t want cold air or moisture to seep in because your heater will work double time. This will cause your electric bills to soar.
Immediately seal cracks and leaks. Moreover, you can add weather-stripping or caulkin to remove the cracks and dafts. This way, you don’t have to worry about spending far too much on something that’s preventable.
- Trim the branches
Ice and snow can weigh down trees and branches especially during a snowstorm. When this happens, it can cause major damage to your house. So be sure to trim the branches back and keep your home safe from catastrophic disaster.
While you’re at it, you should also prepare your outdoor furniture. Shut off your water valves an set aside your garden house in your storage.
- Inspect your furnace
If you are not familiar about inspecting your furnace, call an HVAC professional to do it for you. These professionals will give it a tune up and they will clean the filters as well as inspect the gas piping of the furnace. It may set you back $100 but it will definitely save you a ton in your bills. Plus, you have the peace of mind that your house is safe.
While you’re at it, you can also have the HVAC professionals inspect heating ducts. In fact, studies have shown “that up to 60% of heated air escapes from ducts before making it to the vents.” That’s going to save you from paying high electric bills.
- Reverse your ceiling fan
Many people don’t know that they can reverse their ceiling fans. What this does is when the blades run clockwise, the warm air gets pushed downward then it will circulate throughout the house. This will then keep your house warm without spending too much while using the heater.
Just don’t forget to reverse the blades once again when it gets warmer.
Keep in mind that when you prep your house for winter, you are not just assuring your home to stay protected. You are also ensuring the safety and peace of mind of everyone in the house.
