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Tips for Preparing Your Home for the Winter

Preparation for winter is very important in our region, where strong winds, bitter cold, snow, and ice are often a fact of life. Certain winterizing rituals should be performed before the cold weather arrives to avoid potential problems around your house.

Check Heating Systems

It is very important to make sure all sources of heat have been properly inspected before winter strikes. Have a qualified heating technician service your furnace to ensure that it will operate safely and efficiently. It is also important to make sure that the area around your furnace is clear for good air circulation. All flammable materials, such as clothing, cardboard boxes, paint thinners, fuels and solvents, should be kept far away from the furnace.

Inspect your chimney to make sure it is unobstructed. Because many furnaces vent into the chimney, it must be free of debris to allow products of combustion to vent to the outside atmosphere. If you will be burning wood in a fireplace, have the chimney and flue inspected to make sure they are in good condition and free of creosote build-up.

Install and check detectors

As the cold weather approaches, your furnace will consistently be running and your windows will be closed, so you may want to install a carbon monoxide detector. These devices will alert homeowners to any build-up of carbon monoxide in the home, which include such physical symptoms as headache, fatigue, dizziness, and shortness of breath. If you experience any of these symptoms, get fresh air right away and contact a doctor for proper diagnosis.

Install smoke alarms near bedrooms and on each floor of your home. Test them monthly, and change the batteries at least once a year.

Maintain gutters

Remove leaves, sticks, and other debris from gutters, so melting snow and ice can flow freely. This can prevent ice damming, a condition where water is unable to properly drain through the gutters and instead seeps into the house, causing water to drip from the ceiling and walls. You may also consider installing gutter guards available at most hardware stores. Gutter guards are screens that prevent debris from entering the gutter and direct the flow of water away from the house and into the ground.

Trim trees and remove dead branches

Ice, snow and wind could cause weak trees or branches to break, damaging your home, car, or injuring someone walking on your property.

Check Insulation

Add extra insulation to attics, basements and crawl spaces. If too much heat escapes through the attic, it can cause snow or ice to melt on the roof. The water re-freezes, causing more snow and ice to build up. This can result in a collapsed roof, and can contribute to ice damming. Ideally, the attic should be five to ten degrees warmer that the outside air. Well insulated basements and crawl spaces will also help protect pipes from freezing.

Keep the House Warm

The temperature in the home should be at least 65 degrees. The temperature inside the walls where the pipes are located is substantially colder than the walls themselves. Temperatures lower than 65 degrees may not keep the pipes from freezing.

Get to know your plumbing

Learn how to shut the water off and know where your pipes are located. If your pipes do freeze, time is of the essence. The quicker you can shut off the water or direct your plumber to the problem, the better chance you have to prevent the pipes from bursting.

Maintain Pipes

Wrap pipes with heat tape and insulate unfinished rooms such as garages that frequently have exposed pipes. Also, check for cracks and leaks. Have them repaired immediately to prevent much costlier repairs.

To avoid bursting pipes, turn off your outside hose shut-off valves after the first freeze. Open hose bibs to release any water left in the pipes. Keep hose bibs closed halfway throughout the winter to keep moisture from being trapped in pipes.

Check windows, doors, and garage doors

To prevent air from flowing through, apply weather stripping around windows and door jams. Remove and store screens. Caulk cracks and gaps around windows and doors.

Light for Safety

As days grow short, make sure your outdoor lighting is in good working order. Good lighting can protect you against crime, falls, and accidents caused by reaching in the dark. Inspect fixtures and outlets for weather damage and replace burnt out bulbs.

Make sure steps and handrails are in good shape

Broken stairs and banisters can become lethal when covered with snow and ice. Make repairs now to prevent someone from falling and being seriously injured.

Hire a licensed contractor

Have a professional survey of your home for any structural damage. If damage is discovered, have it repaired now so further damage will not occur during the winter. Also, find out about ways to prevent water damage due to snow related flooding. Plastic coatings for internal basement walls, sump pumps and other methods can prevent damage to your home and belongings.

Take special care if you plan to be away from home

If you are not going to be in your home this winter for an extended period of time, have the water system drained by a professional to keep pipes from freezing or bursting. Also, hire someone to check on your home on a regular basis. If there is a problem, it can be fixed quickly, lessening any damage. Activity at your home will also reduce the likelihood that it will be burglarized.

Please check out these related articles:

• Home Tips for Preparing Your Home for the Spring
• Home Tips for Preparing Your Home for the Fall
• Home Tips for Preparing Your Home for the Summer

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