Important Steps To Winterize Your Home

23 December 2020
 Categories: , Blog


The cold winter season is quickly approaching, which means it is time to winterize your home. If you are a new homeowner or have moved to a cold-weather climate, you need to know what steps you need to take to correct steps to ensure your home is protected from damage that can be caused by frigid temperatures. Here is what you need to do:

Check the Outside Areas of Your Home

The first thing to do is to check around your house for any issues. You need to clean your gutters of the fall leaves that have built up along with any other debris that may have accumulated. Also, check your downspouts and make sure they are not directed towards the house's foundation.

If you have low-hanging trees around your house, trim back any branches that are near or hanging over the roof. If you live in a snowy climate, the snow can build up on the branches and cause them to fall. The heavy branches can damage your roof or outside of your home if they are not removed.

Seal the Windows

Check around your windows to make sure any gaps are sealed. When gaps exist, the air can leak inside your home and cause your home to be colder than usual. You can seal the windows with weatherstripping. If there is already weatherstripping in place and you can still feel air coming through, you will need to remove the old barrier and replace it.

Protect Your Water Lines

No matter how old your home is, you must take action to protect your pipes. Locate any exposed pipes outside your house, in your attic, or in a crawl space. Cold weather can severely impact your pipes in these areas. When the water freezes in your water lines, you will not be able to access water until the line thaw. Frozen water in the pipes can also cause them to burst due to the expansion of the ice. You could end up with serious damage.

To winterize your water lines, you can wrap them with insulation and heat tape if necessary. If there are air vents in your attic, make sure they are in the closed position.

Get a Programmable Thermostat

If you do not already have one, consider installing a programmable thermostat in your home. If you have to leave for an extended period of time, you will be able to set the thermostat according to your own timetable. You can set the thermostat to turn the heating system on after a certain time each day to ensure your house is not cold or frozen when you return home.

For more tips, contact a local home winterization service.


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