Top 3 Ways to Prepare Your Home for Winter

3 Ways to Protect and Prepare Your Home This Winter

Darker, shorter and colder days are all tell-tale signs that winter is slowly approaching. When the cold weather hits, it’s important that you (and your home) are fully prepared for it.

While there are several ways to prepare your home for winter, here are the top five methods that any home owner should definitely consider.

Insulate and Seal

Properly insulating your home will not only keep you warmer, but will also help lower the cost of electricity and gas during the cold winter. Some of the most effective insulating methods include…

• Purchasing a window insulation kit from your local home department store. This thin film of plastic isn’t as noticeable as you think and buffers against drafts / cold air from outside quite well.

• Installing weather-strips along your doors and window sills. Leaking air can dramatically reduce the energy efficiency of your home.

• Adding extra insulation in your attic. Heat rises and can escape through your roof if not properly insulated.

• Wrapping your pipes with insulation is also a good idea. You’ll conserve energy by reducing the amount of electricity used to heat your water. Find the proper pipe insulation at your local home department store.

• Inspecting your window sills for leaks and anywhere else that caulking has been used to form a seal between two building materials. Try holding incense up to the seams around your windows; if the smoke waivers you know that particular area has an air draft entering your house and needs to be patched up.

• Using weather-resistant caulking to seal leaks from the outside of your home. This also prevents insects from seeking refuge in your home.

Maintain Your Furnace

It’s what keeps our house warm during the winter season. Be fully prepared for this years’ winter by doing a thorough maintenance of your home furnace, and…

• Test your furnace before winter is here. The last thing you want is to have harsh winter conditions arrive without notice and have a furnace that doesn’t work properly.

• Change your furnace filters. Dirty filters restrict air flow causing the heat exchanger to shut off too soon which will prevent your house from warming up. A dirty filter also affects the lifetime of your furnace as it causes build up or residue on the heat exchanger. The recommended filter change rate during winter is every 4 to 6 weeks.

• If you’re unsure how to properly maintain your furnace, call a professional to assist you. For a reasonable price they will make sure everything is ready to go for the cold winter ahead.

Drain Pipes and Equipment

Winter is unforgiving when it comes to outdoor water faucets and pipes leading to the inside of your home, so don’t forget to drain your pipes...

• Begin by draining the water pipes and faucets on the outside of your home. Nobody wants to deal with a cracked pipe now, later, or ever, especially during the midst of winter where ice only expands and has the capability to do serious damage to the interior of your home.

• Make sure you know where your homes main water valve is just in case there is a leak and you have to shut off the water immediately.

• Any air-conditioning units and hoses also need to be drained. Keep in mind that any equipment left outside or in the garage should have little or no water inside. You might discover a nasty surprise in the beginning of spring when you go to use that machine and realize that the expansion of freezing water during winter caused it great damage.

For a complete list of preparation tips, be sure to check out Winterizing Your Calgary Home today.

Are You Ready for Winter?

With winter just around the corner, it’s important that we all get prepared for what’s to come! Who knows, this year might be long and colder than ever before – we will just have to wait and see.

Do you have any unique ways to prepare your home for winter? If so, leave us a comment below and let us know. Until next time, be sure to check us out at Calgaryism on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram today!