Winterizing your home for winter can help you save on your energy bills as well as make your home safer. Here is a checklist of 12 tips to help get your home ready for winter.
Closing Vents ~ If you live in a home that has multiple levels. One of the ways to help save on that heating bill is by closing the vents for the upstairs level.
We live in a two-story home and in the winter we will close most of the vents upstairs. Since heat rises the upstairs will get really warm and the living area is cold.
This causes the furnace to run more which in return makes our heating bill cost higher. To help lower that cost we close most of the upstairs vents. Only leaving a few of the vents open.
Changing Furnace Filter ~ Since we are talking about that furnace when was the last time you changed the furnace filter? Changing the furnace filter at least twice a year will help your furnace run better.
Replacing the filter often will help prevent dust, mold, dirt, and bacteria from building up in your home’s air. This is another way to help save on those energy bills. I know I’m always looking for a way to save on our energy bills and this one seems like a simple solution.
More Tips For Winterizing Your Home
Reversing Ceiling Fan ~ Ceiling fans are a great way to help cool the house down in the summertime. Did you know that you can reverse the blades for wintertime use?
Changing the direction of the fan blades in the winter will help push the warm air down. Turning the fan blades clockwise will force the cold air up to the ceiling and the warm air down into the living space. Which also will help save on the heating bill.
Adding Door Guards ~ Adding door guards in front of drafty doors will help with winterizing your home. Since heat escapes under doors it’s best to stop that from happening by using door guards.
Sealing Up Drafty Windows ~ Since we are talking about the drafty door let’s move on to windows. Drafty windows are caused by broken window seals or weatherstripping.
Covering windows with insulation film will help with those drafts. Adding more weatherstripping to the windows is also another way to help with those drafts.
Fire Hazards
Checking Smoke Alarms ~ On your checklist for winterizing your home, the smoke alarms should be at the top of the list. Push the test button to see if the smoke alarm is working, if it isn’t then replacing the smoke alarm is a good idea.
While you are there checking that test button change out the backup batteries. Having fresh batteries in the smoke alarms will help when the power goes out.
Cleaning Out Dryer Vents ~ Dryer vents can collect a lot of the lint causing a build-up. This build-up of lint can cause fires. Cleaning out the dryer trap as well as the dryer vent will help with the airflow.
If the dryer vent is full of lint then there will be less airflow. Which will cause your cloth to take longer to dry. Lint build-up can also cause mold and mildew to build up in the walls.
To help reduce the lint build up in the dryer vents clean them out at least once a year. There are vent brushes you can buy at most home improvement stores. Or you could hire a ductwork service to come out to do the job.
Winterizing Outside
Cleaning Out The Gutters ~ Now it’s time to move outside of the home and start winterizing. Pull out that ladder and slap on those garden gloves. Cleaning out the gutters is the first on the outside list.
Having the gutters cleaned out will allow the water to run out like the gutters are designed to do. If the gutters are full of leaves and debris water will collect and ice will form. The ice can start to cause roof damage which can get costly.
So it’s well worth taking some time on a Saturday to clean out those gutters.
Trimming Back Trees And Shrubs ~ Keep those gloves on and start trimming back your trees and shrubs.
Once the trees start to go dormant for the season is the best time to trim. The winter months will give them time to heal before they start to regrow in the spring.
Draining that garden hose. By taking the time to drain the water from the hose will help stop the hose from cracking. Water and winter cause ice and ice in a hose can cause crack leaving your garden hose full of holes.
Storing Patio Furniture ~ Storing patio furniture will protect the furniture from getting wet which will cause rot. If you have cushions on your patio furniture they could hold moister and grow mold, essentially ruining them. Placing the cushions in trash bags can also help keep little critters out of them during the winter months.
Finding a nice dry place to store the patio furniture in the winter will allow you to enjoy using them in the summer.
Ready For Winter
This last tip will ensure that you are completely ready for winter, that is if you get snow.
Busting Out The Shovel ~ Before that first snowfall is a great time to find that snow shovel. Going on a hunt for it before the snow falls will give you plenty of time to find it or if need be replace it.
I will admit we have been the ones that have been hit with snow early and couldn’t find the shovel. Running to the store to find that we missed out on the store’s supplies of shovels isn’t any fun either.
These simple tips will help you winterize your home for the upcoming winter.
A Decorative Home is making home a little sweeter ~ Jen
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