Is Your Home Ready for Winter?

The colder months are upon us, and now's the perfect time to ensure that your home is ready for fall and winter. Meteorologists believe this year will have an especially brutal winter, and even states that don't always experience snow could be looking at below-freezing temperatures.

Why You Need to Winterize Your Home

If there's anything that the forest fires currently ravaging the U.S. West Coast have taught us, it's that climate change is real, and not acting will have deadly consequences. Similarly, this has been the year when we've undergone a spate of hurricanes that had the National Hurricane Center scrambling to use the Greek alphabet to start naming these storms.

What does this mean for you as a homeowner? It means that without the proper preparation, the rougher winters and the harsher summers could wreak havoc on your property. Not only that, if, for example, you don't have a proper stormwater management plan, you could also cause damage to your neighboring properties and the environment.

Check These To-Dos Off Your List

If you live in an area that experiences frigid weather during the winter months, you would be more likely to encounter some problems during the winter months. These could include frozen water pipes, chimney fires, and ice dams. Here's what you can do to prevent this from happening this winter.

1. Ensure that your heating system is ready.

   This might not seem like a necessary step to you, but ensuring that your heating system works properly could save you from getting a big surprise when you need it the most. There are other ways to heat your home, of course, but a well-maintained heating system would also save you some money.

2. Doors and windows need to be weatherproofed.

   How? By ensuring that there are no gaps that could cause a draft. This is best done during the summer months because if you need to do some caulking or sealing, it'll be challenging to do when the weather gets cold. Also, replace any door or window severely damaged now, not when it's already cold.

3. Check your gutters.

   As a responsible homeowner, this is a chore you need to do regularly, even if it's not the winter months. Clean gutters are essential because if debris and dirt accumulate, you could be looking at costly home repairs.

4. Clean your fireplace.

   There's nothing quite like gathering the family together around a fire during the winter months, but if it's not clean enough or there are cracks or debris in the chimney, it could prove to be disastrous for the family. Save yourself the trouble and hire the services of a professional chimney sweep. They are best placed to ensure that you have a cozy winter.

5. Prevent water pipes from freezing.

   There are many reasons water could freeze in your pipes, one of which is improper heating. Some pipes could also burst when they are filled with water in unheated portions of your house. Disconnect your garden hose from the faucet and add insulation to pipes near doors and windows.

Ensuring that you have a comfortable winter doesn't take a lot of work if you perform regular maintenance checks in your home. Fixing and replacing broken items around your house as the damage occurs also ensures that you save money in the long term.

Related Articles:

• Essential Steps to Get Your House Ready for Winter
• Preparing Your Home for Winter: Heating Tips and Tricks