Winter is Coming! 10 Ways to Winterize Your Home

The warm summer nights have finally given way to chilly winter mornings. With below-freezing nights quickly approaching, ARC Realty has a few tips to prepare your home for winter weather to keep you comfortable this season.

Tune Up Your Heating System

Chances are you have already turned on your heater at some point this fall; however, pretty soon you’re going to be running that system pretty much nonstop. Therefore, it’s best to make sure it’s working correctly.

Have your heating system inspected and make needed tune-ups now to insure you’re not at the bottom of a week-long list if it breaks in the middle of the season. While you’re at it, go ahead and clean or replace the air filter in your furnace for maximum efficiency and improved indoor air quality.

Inspect Chimneys

Now is also a great time to check your chimney if you use a wood-burning fireplace.

When wood burns it creates a flammable byproduct called creosote that sticks to the inner walls of a chimney flue that can catch fire. While they sell chimney sweeping logs that may help remove some creosote, they should never replace regular inspection and maintenance by a professional.

Check Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarms

This is the time of year you use your furnaces and fireplaces most, so it’s a good idea to make sure smoke and carbon monoxide alarms are in working order and batteries are fresh. Get in the habit of testing your alarms every month and always replace alarms if they are over 10 years old.

Check Windows and Doors

Put your hands near windows and doors and feel for those cool drafts. If they’re there, it means your weather stripping needs to be replaced. Silicone caulk is best for exterior use because it won’t shrink and it’s impervious to the elements.

Clear Gutters of Leaves

Leaves have been falling for a while now and if you live near trees, then it is definitely time to clean out those gutters.

Clogged gutters block the drainage of rain and melting snow, resulting in rot and leaks. Also ensure that the downpipes are clear of obstruction.

Pad your Pipes and Drain Exterior Faucets

Undrained water in exterior pipes can freeze, which will cause pipes to burst as the ice expands. Start by disconnecting all garden hoses and draining the water that remains in faucets.

To protect those pipes you have to use during winter, grab some tubular pipe insulation sleeves from your local hardware store and cover exposed pipes in unheated areas, such as your basement, attic, crawl space or cabinet. Cover all exposed parts, including bends and joints. Finally, seal the seams with duct tape.

With this relatively simple task, you’re not only preventing considerable water damage, but also conserving energy.

Reverse Your Ceiling Fans

Winter is the time to reverse your ceiling fan from a counter-clockwise rotation to clockwise. The fan will produce an updraft this way and push down into the room heated air from the ceiling (remember, hot air rises).

This is especially helpful in rooms with high ceilings, and it could even allow you to turn down your thermostat by a degree or two for greater energy savings.

Lower Your Thermostat

Did you know that every degree you lower the thermostat reduces your fuel costs by about two percent? You can save up to 10% on your power bills by keeping your thermostat set to 68 degrees in the winter, rather than 73.

There are a lot of automatic thermostats that you can set to lower temperatures for times when your family is at work, which can also add up to substantial savings.

Check Insulation

During winter, heat in your home will try to flow from all heated spaces to nearby unheated attics such as garages and basements. This means that your heating system has to work harder if your home isn’t properly insulated, wasting energy and costing you money.

Properly insulating your home will reduce heat flow by providing an effective resistance. So to keep your home warm this season, make sure you are using the proper insulation and have insulation in the right places.

Repair Walkways

Check out the condition of the walkways, steps, and driveways of your home for small holes and cracks. These should be repaired to prevent water from penetrating and freezing, resulting in larger cracks and larger problems in the future.

You can repair smaller holes and cracks yourself, but for larger problems consult a professional.

Are you looking to sell your home this winter season or purchase a new one? If so, contact the agents at ARC Realty. Call us today at (205) 969-8910 and let us help you sell your home or find the home of your dreams.