10 Tips to Home Winterization

School supplies are back in the stores and the days are getting shorter and cooler, this means one thing… fall and winter are on their way! While schedules can be hectic, now is an essential time to prep your home. Proper winterization in the fall can save you all sorts of problems when the ground thaws this spring. Here are 10 tips to get your home ready! 

1. Trim trees and hedges before leaves fall.

While it may seem easy to trim trees once the leaves fall, it is much harder to tell what areas need trimmed.

2. Build up those flowerbeds around the home

Water wants to go downhill. Therefore, it is important to keep the ground around your home higher than the area around it. An industry term is grade.

3. Get HVAC cleaned and wrap pipes

Clean fans and debris free vents will allow your HVAC system to heat your air in the most energy efficient way.
HVAC piping is also very difficult to fit without any leaks. These air leaks can cause your warm air to be released into the basement or crawl space and the cool air to be brought into your home. Wrapping the HVAC and other pipes can keep air leaks from happening. It also adds insulation to keep the air and water hotter as it travels through the frigid spaces.

4. Check smoke, Carbon Monoxide, and other detectors and alarms

Alarm batteries should be checked and changed once a year, making it an annual thing could help you remember to do this! After the batteries are changed, check the alarm works by pressing the test button.

With the carbon monoxide detectors, it is important to change the “fuel-cell electro-chemical” sensor and memory every 5-7 years. Check your model type to know exactly what your needs are.

Once the leaves begin to fall, there is even more work to be done…

5. Check those gutters

When your gutters fill up, the water cannot flow through them. When this water overflows it goes right to the foundation of your home. This water saturation causes pressure that leads to cracks, leaks, and settling.

5 ½ and while you’re up there, inspect your roof!

6. Clear downspouts and drains.

We talked about checking the grade for keeping water away from your home but, it is also important to keep the drains around the home clear, so they can do their job of directing large amounts water safely away.

Adding IceGuard to the sump pump discharge line can save a headache if that line freezes or clogs. The IceGuard goes outside your home and give the water a way to escape without flooding your basement.

7. Test outdoor lighting

Here’s a chance to add some energy savings too! Replace old bulbs with LED or CFL bulbs. Here you’ll want to check lumens instead of watts when thinking of how bright they’ll get. Also put LED in garages, porches, and front walkways, where they will need to be bright fast and stick to CFLs in the backyard, where they may get left on for long periods.

8. Clean and sweep your chimney

Of course, if you do not have a chimney or fireplace don’t worry about this one! Nevertheless, if you do, anything over 1/8” of soot will be a fire hazard. It is also important to make sure the flue and flue cap are snug so a draft and critters cannot come into the home.

In addition, as the mornings get colder and those cold drafts begin to come through…

9. Add weather stripping to windows and doors

Air leaks can become a major source of lost energy. When you know the windows will be closed for a couple months, go ahead a put weather stripping in the seams and seals. This can stop in drafts from coming in through the super small cracks. The same goes for the bottoms of doors. Also, check for air leaks in walls and along baseboards.

10. Fight heat loss through outlets

Many outlets are not insulated, properly putting insulation behind them and using outlet protectors can stop cold air from coming in and your hot air from escaping. If you find an area of your home that does not appear to be insulated at all, looking into spray insulation to fill all the cracks could be a huge money saver.

When you take the time to prepare your home in the fall, it can save your energy bill, thermostat, and foundation!