Easy Ways To Winterize Your Home

Beautiful white falling snow and sparkling icicles may make for a romantic winter wonderland, but they can also bring on drafts, wake up allergies and makes like more uncomfortable. Avoid spending time and money on costly winter-related disasters with easy and simple tips for preventative winter maintenance.

CLEAN OUT THE GUTTERS

Everybody loves how leaves change colours, orange is reminiscent to the fall season. But during the fall leaves don't just change in colour, they fall. Everywhere. And for your gutters this means that the build-up can cause blockages to them. This means that if unattended, it can cause rainwater to pool and seep into your home's wood. During the winter however, ice dams will form and melting snow from the rood will not be able to properly drain.

SWEEP YOUR CHIMNEY

There's nothing like sitting by the fireplace all wrapped up in a warm blanket with some hot chocolate in hand on a cold winter's night. Ever heard that if you don't clean the lint out of your drying machine it could start a fire? Well, a dirty chimney can do the same. By recommendation of The Canada Safety Council, you should get your chimney cleaned at lease once a year. Whether you decide to DIY or get a professional to sweep them, make it part of your annual fall home maintenance plan.

CHECK FOR PESTS AND POSSIBLE ENTRYWAYS

As the weather cools down, small animals such as birds and rodents start looking for shelter to spend the winter time, and your home will be very appealing to them. Signs to look out for are; droppings, feathers and fur been left around in places like your attic or basement. Check your home for any possible entryways and block them when possible. Placing screens behind vents in your attic, for instance. Or cutting branches from trees that might be too close to your roof. We recommend that if you have persistent pest issues, it is always best to hire a professional to take care of it.

TUNE YOUR HEATER UP

Tune-ups are always a smart move, and just like your chimney, you should give your furnace an annual tune up and filter change to ensure that its system is working properly. Getting your heater up to date with a professional will not cost you much, and you won't have the constant worry of it giving out in the middle of winter. If your home has a gas-powered fireplace or other types of heat traveling through your home, tune-ups are never a bad idea for your furnace.

BEWARE OF AIR LEAKS

One major source of drafts and air leakage in your home is through its windows. Check areas around the windows and doors for any small breeze or coldness. If you prefer to do so, you can always find a professional to conduct an energy audit. Even if the home builders might of used weatherstripping techniques when building your home, overtime they can crack and suffer wear downs. If so, some of these parts might need to be replaced. One of the most basic fixes is simply to re-caulk your windows if the caulking is cracked or peeling in places.

DRAIN AND STORE YOUR HOSES

All the grass and plants in your yard will not need to be watered for a few months, and you might wonder if there’s really any harm to leaving your hoses outside until springtime. If a hose has water in it and that water freezes, you could end up splitting the hose and needing to either patch it or buy a new one when the spring rolls back around. Before temperatures drop too far, detach your hoses from any outdoor faucets, drain the water out of them, then store them somewhere safe until you need them again.

FLUSH YOUR WATER HEATER

Over time, sediment collects in water heaters, and when there’s a lot of it, the sediment can start to affect the efficiency of your water heater. To avoid any inefficiencies as a result of sediment, an easy fix is to flush your heater. Just dump out the water that’s currently inside it, including any sediment inside your water heater. It’s cheap and relatively quick, and it’s something that most homeowners should do as part of their winter routine maintenance.

CHANGE YOUR FURNACE FILTER

The life of your furnace filter depends on the type of filter, the type of furnace, and other factors surrounding your house, such as how many people live in the house or how many pets you have. It’s always a good idea to check the filter before winter so that you have time to replace it if you need to. This is an easy way to keep your furnace operating at its peak and keep you warm when the cold weather arrives.

INSPECT YOUR ROOF

Your roof gets a lot of battering from the whether, precipitation, intense sunlight, or a mixture of both. Fixing any issues with your roof (or replacing it entirely) are much, much easier and cheaper to do in the summertime than in the wintertime, when you are battling the elements to do the repairs. Instead, you should get your roof inspected as soon as possible, and ask the expert roofing company for advise about what needs to be done (if anything) before winter. It’s always a good idea to choose an company you trust, or ask your neighbours for referrals.

Winterizing is different for every house and every homeowner, so not all of these tips are going to apply to everybody, but if you get started now, you’ll be safe and warm inside your house when snow starts to fall and the cold winter winds begin to blow.