Prepping Your Home for Winter

Winter weather is upon us, and whether you live north or south, prepping your home for winter is a must. The tips below are easy to implement and will help ensure your home is prepped and ready for the months to come.

Insulate Pipes

For those with extreme weather, a task that is often overlooked by many homeowners, but can help prevent potential big issues, is wrapping your home's pipes. Pipes can break when water freezes and expands. To help insulate pipes, wrap with pipe sleeves or pipe tape from your local hardware store. For those living in harsh winter climates, a heating cable is a good option. Remember: it's not just exterior pipes that could freeze - any pipe that is in an unheated or poorly insulated portion of your home is at risk of freezing in the winter.

Clean Gutters

Winter weather can wreak havoc with your home's gutters. Before the weather gets really bad, ensure you clean them out. Not only do the gutters take a lot of weight if you live in a snowy climate, they can also contribute to water damage if the snow and ice inside are allowed to melt and refreeze night after night. Whether you do it yourself, or pay someone else to do it, clearing out the debris in your gutters is a must.

Reverse Ceiling Fans

Ceiling fans are a great asset when you need to cool a room, but they're also beneficial in the winter. When the days get cooler, reverse a fan's direction in order to help push warm air down. Ensure the fan is off, then click the switch above the blades to reverse the direction. This will help warm air circulate and heat your room more efficiently.

Tune Up Home Systems

Winter can really test your home's heating systems. Now is the perfect time to get your furnace inspected, tuned up, and replace the filter to help ensure your home has no heating issues in the coming months. If you have a fire place (either wood or electric), get it inspected and/or cleaned. For wood burning fireplaces, an inspection will help check creosote buildup, which left unchecked can cause health issues and is highly flammable. With many people inside due to colder weather, it's also an ideal time to replace the batters in your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and test the units to ensure they work without issue.

Prepare An Emergency Exit

Winter is known for inclement weather, and whether you have to worry about snow, ice, or rain, having an emergency kit ready and accessible is important. Stock your supply with flashlights and batteries, weather radio, non-perishable foods, and a portable power bank to help recharge import electronics. If you have room in your budget, you can also invest in a generator if you want to ensure you have backup power in case of a power outage.

Winter is upon us. Whether you live in a sunny climate or are prone to blizzards, now is the perfect time to get your home prepared for the coming months.