10 Tips for Winterizing Your Home

Winter is in full swing. You can tell by the barren trees, early evenings, and layer of frost in the morning. If you haven’t winterized your home yet, you still have time. Use these winterization tips to keep your home safe, efficient and warm all winter.

1. Request Maintenance for Your Home’s Heating

Your furnace has been dormant all summer. To get it ready for another heating season, request a visit from a qualified technician to examine, clean and tune up the equipment. The most affordable way to keep your heating system in good shape through the years is to subscribe to a Maintenance+ membership.

2. Have Your Fireplace Inspected

Hire a professional to examine and clean your wood-burning stove or fireplace once per year. This service takes care of ash, soot and creosote buildup, which can cause chimney fires. It also grants you peace of mind that the masonry, chimney liner, crown, and other fireplace components are in good condition.

3. Seal Air Leaks

As you prepare to run your furnace all winter, try to find and seal air leaks that enable cold outdoor air to get inside. The easiest way to find leaks is to hold a lit candle or incense stick in areas that could be leaky, including near windows and doors, recessed light fixtures, plumbing penetrations and electrical outlets. Then, seal the leaks up with weatherstripping, caulk, foam gaskets and expanding spray foam.

4. Run Ceiling Fans in Reverse

Ceiling fans keep you cool during the summer, but they can also disperse warm air down to the living space over the winter. For better results, set your fans on low and run them in reverse. This strategy is best used in stairwells and rooms with tall ceilings.

5. Install Insulating Drapes

Another way to winterize your home is to trade out thin, summery window coverings for heavy, insulating drapes. Make sure to pull back the drapes during the day so the sun warms your home for free. Then, shut the curtains after dark for added insulation against the frigid night air.

6. Insulate Your Pipes

As the temperature dips, exposed pipes are vulnerable to freezing and bursting. Install foam pipe insulation to plumbing in the garage, crawlspace or unfinished basement to keep this from happening. Electric heat tape under the insulation provides an added layer of protection in very frigid climates.

7. Install Smoke Alarms & Carbon Monoxide Detectors

Sealing up your house, baking more and heating with combustion appliances increases the risk of home fires and carbon monoxide poisoning in the winter. Exercise caution with matches, candles and other open flames, and make sure your smoke alarms are functioning. Then, put in CO detectors on every floor of your home, particularly close to sleeping areas. Test your alarms monthly and change the batteries twice yearly.

8. Upgrade to a Programmable Thermostat

Do you still have an old analog thermostat? You can save on heating bills this winter by getting a programmable model. Pre-programmed settings optimize the temperature throughout the day, so you can set it and forget it. A Wi-Fi thermostat is a high-tech option with the capability to change the settings remotely with an internet-enabled device. You also benefit from automatically generated energy reports and maintenance recommendations.

9. Prevent Ice Dams

Ice dams are ridges of ice that appear along the eaves, blocking melted snow from melting off the roof. Left unaddressed, ice dams can allow water to reach under the shingles and damage structures in the attic. Follow these tips to deter ice dams this winter:

  • Clean the gutters so water can flow like it should.
  • Ventilate the attic to stop heat buildup that can melt snow from below.
  • Seal attic floor penetrations to stop heated air from rising through the ceiling.
  • Insulate the attic floor to further decrease heat transfer through the ceiling.
  • Seal and insulate ductwork running through the attic.
  • Make sure your kitchen and bathroom exhaust fans and the dryer vent lead outside, not into the attic.

10. Keep Deicer on Hand

Slips and falls are notably common in freezing winter weather. Keep your sidewalks and driveway safe by sprinkling salt, kitty litter or chemical deicer on the pavement to melt the ice and snow. Be sure to read the directions for proper application tips and any potential precautions.

Winterizing Your Home with Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing

Many winterization tips relate directly to your home heating, cooling, and plumbing utilities. If you need help winterizing your home, contact Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing. We offer excellent furnace maintenance and repair, plumbing support, and other services to prepare your home for winter. For more info about our services or to schedule an estimate, please contact your local Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing office today.

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