5 Ways to Winterize Your Home and Cut Cost

As the weather gets colder, it’s time to turn our thoughts towards winterizing our homes. It is important to properly secure and prepare your home for severe winter weather by taking the necessary proactive steps. Not only will your home withstand the rain, snow, hail, and freezing temperatures better if you weatherize it, you will also see savings on your heating and other energy costs. It’s a win for everyone!
If you’ve never winterized your home before, it may sound overwhelming. Here are a few tips on how you can start preparing for the cold:

1. Install insulation

Insulation can cost a little bit of money upfront, but you’ll see a return on the investment in no time. Homes should have at least a foot of insulation in the attic, no matter what kind of climate they are in. If you are adding new insulation to some that is already there, don’t buy the kind with the paper backing. It can cause moisture problems.

2. Clean the gutters

Whether you use your hand, a scraper, or a spatula, when leaves get stuck in the gutters, you need to clean them out. After you’ve removed them, finish with a rinse of your gutters. This needs to be done so that winter rain and snow can drain through them. Check for leaks and misaligned piping while you’re hosing.

3. Block your air leaks

Did you know that the average home has the equivalent of a nine square-foot hole in its wall when you add up all the smaller leaks? Find the leaks by closing all the windows and doors and then walk through the house with smoking incense. Look for places where the smoke drifts in as if there’s a breeze. That’s your leak.

4. Winterize your pipes

There are few situations as terrible as a burst pipe caused by winter freeze. Prevent that from ever happening before the temperatures drop. Ensure that the water to your hose bibs is turned off in your house, and that you’ve drained the lines. Where it gets really cold, you can install Styrofoam insulation at the spigots. Then look for non-insulated pipes – usually in garages, crawlspaces, and basements.

5. Give your ducts a check-up

It is estimated that homes with central heating can lose as much as 60% of their heated air through poorly connected and non-insulated ducts. Repair these problems in your house. You might find your ducts in the attic, basement or other places. They should be vacuumed every couple of years as well.
These are only a few of the many steps to be taken to get your home ready and prepared for the upcoming winter. Winterizing your house will save you money and energy, making it good for everyone. Once you have pulled out all the winter clothing, get your house ready, too. Get your family to help!

Contact me today for a free Home Value Report or Home Buyer's Toolkit!