Today – How to get your house ready for winter
So, the summer heat, beach memories and ice cream fun are way past us, and we can almost feel the snow on our feet. Fall is here and will be gone soon as well, and we’ll have to put the scary costumes and carved pumpkins aside and get warm. Winter can hit you real hard if you are not well prepared for it, and it can be particularly hard on you if you have a family that needs to keep warm. This doesn’t just mean that we get warm clothes; a significant part of preparing for winter is making sure that your house is ready for it. Here are some tips you will find useful when prepping your home for winter this year:
How to get your house ready for winter
How to get your house ready for winter – top tips
WINDOWS
We don’t need any experience to know just how chilly it can get when all the windows are letting in a draft. Regular windows are not insulated so if you don’t take a look at that before winter, you’re in for an extra cold one. Before winter, try to get your windows and doors replaced with some that have insulation properties such as sectional garage doors and windows.
Here’s another hack; try covering them in plastic shrink wrap. Yes, sounds like something your grandmother would do but well, it works well. It is guaranteed to reduce heat loss and help you reduce your energy costs while keeping your home comfortable and warm. If you don’t fancy it in the regular and conspicuous form, there’s plenty of kits out there designed for an easy and discreet installation.
While you are at it, remember to prep all the windows, including those in rooms that are not used frequently. The heat will seep right out of them even if they are floors away and basically, your heating system will be blowing up.
How to get your house ready for winter
DRIVE OUT YOUR UNWANTED GUESTS
You’ll want to check your house for any critters and drive them out while you still have time, unless, of course, you fancy being a kind and welcoming host. There’s nothing wrong with it, actually, only that you’ll probably be running into a family of mice every time you take a corner or have to feed a racoon making itself your winter pet in your basement.
Such animals start getting into houses in the late fall just when the snow begins falling and if you don’t do anything about it, believe me, you’re going to have one long winter. Check any holes and entry points to your house where vermin may let themselves in through and seal them. Drive out any animals inside already and make sure they stay out. Cold weather is bound to attract all sorts of animals into your house including snakes and rats. This is not only, well, creepy, but could also expose you and your family to the danger of venomous bites and contagious animal infections.
CHECK YOUR AC AND HEATING SYSTEMS
These are fundamental needs that you literally can’t do without in the winter. Typically, such systems are made to operate well anywhere between ten to fifteen years. Depending on various factors, however, some may wear out faster. It is therefore essential that you have a professional check yours out before winter begins. If you are going to do it yourself, at least change the filters. It would, however, be more recommendable to have a qualified expert take a look at it before winter begins.
CHECK THE GUTTERS AND CLEAN THEM
So, you’ve been avoiding the spiders and other assortments of bugs in your gutters for a year now. Well, its time to face them. Wear whatever armour you find suitable and make your way there (probably on a ladder) because you can’t start winter if the gutters are filled with dirt. Why? Well, when they fill up with dirt, the water they are supposed to drain accumulates until it overflows. It will run all over your exterior and even some interior and you’ll find yourself placing a bucket on a leaky spot under the ceiling somewhere in the middle of December. Fixing such damage can be very expensive as sometimes you may need entire replacements.
HAVE YOUR CHIMNEY CHECKED OUT
It is good to have a professional take a good look at your chimney before you start building fires for the snowy season. More often than not, they identify otherwise unnoticeable problems that could have caused you great trouble, for instance, a smoke-filled house. They also check for any hazards like poor ventilation. This is very important because if left unchecked, you could be dosing up your family with dangerous gases such as carbon monoxide. If you don’t have a handy pair of hands around the house, it is advisable to call in the professionals to have a look at it. You can then start placing orders for firewood because around this time there are many seasoned mixed hardwood for sale and a soft rug to sit on and sip wine while looking into the fire (like in the movies, right?)
TURN OFF THE POOL, SPRINKLER SYSTEMS AND FAUCETS
Learn the proper procedures of doing this or get an expert to do it as soon as you can. Water in pipes and faucets will probably freeze in such cold temperatures, causing them to burst and creating a whole new and costly problem for you to solve. If you don’t know the proper procedures for shutting down your pool and getting it ready for window, call in pool maintenance companies and let them do the work for you. If you have a heated pool, remember to turn off the heating system or you’ll be racking up a few thousand dollars for energy costs sooner than you think.
In conclusion, it looks like the best way to get your house ready for winter is do your part where you can and have the professionals come and help you out with the rest. While it may seem costly, it will probably save you a lot more and help you get the peace of mind you need during the winter. While you are it, don’t forget to get what your family will need to be comfortable such as warm baby clothing. It’s easy to get such items like warm winter jackets, socks, boots and even pram liners online.
How to get your house ready for winter in other ways
I hope you have found this post on how to get your home ready for winter to be useful. You might also like my post on top tips to make plants thrive in winter
and how to do laundry in winter
