How you prepare for the winter depends on where you live in the country. Some people change their commercial tires to snow tires while others pull out a light jacket. No matter what kind of climate you have in the cooler months, you need to prepare your home just like you’d prepare your wardrobe or car.
Weatherize Your Home for The Winter
You can save money each winter on your heating bills by simply weatherizing your home. It can be a quick, easy, and inexpensive project that takes one Saturday afternoon. Learn how to weatherize your home efficiently using the following tips.
Change Your Window Screens
Most Northerners know that this is a good way to weatherize your home when the days get chilly. Window screens should be removed and put in storage once summer winds down. This is crucial for homes with single-pane windows and those that don’t get a lot of natural light. Removing your window screens can help your home get a little more sunlight in the winter.
These screens need to be replaced with something, however. A storm windowpane will protect your windows from ice and snow and help reduce drafts. Installing these is a simple task that won’t take long.
Clean Your Gutters
Cleaning and maintaining your gutters is just as important as having them in the first place. Overflowing gutters can cause water damage as well as a leaky roof. With rain, ice, and melting snow all being a part of winter’s recipe, your gutters should be cleaned ahead of time to prepare for this onslaught.
You can hire a company to clean your gutters if they’ve gotten too clogged. The best way to prevent obstructed gutters, however, is to install seamless troughs that don’t become clogged.
Seal Your Drafts
Drafts are one of the main ways your house loses heat in the winter. They may come from old windows, cracks in the floor, or gaps at the bottom of your doors. Sealing these drafts is an important step toward winterizing your home.
One way to do this is by adding extra caulking to your windows and doors. Examine the interior of your home for any holes or cracks that may let cold air in. Glazing your windows can also keep cold air from entering through the cracks. Don’t forget to do the same to your basement and attic windows.
Change Your Curtains
Insulating or thermal curtains can seriously boost your home’s heat retention. If you have an old home or old windows, you’re likely losing a lot of heat through those flimsy panes and cracks. This means you’re losing money, too. Insulating curtains will weatherproof your home and trap heat.
Houses with open floor plans may lose more heat in the winter, so putting curtains in spots where you would have doors can reduce the flow of cold air around your home. Some insulating curtains can also make your home darker at night and in the early morning hours, which can help you and your family sleep more soundly.
Consider Getting New Insulation
Older homes may not be well-insulated, especially if they were built at a time when insulation wasn’t really used. New homes may have developed some drafts over the years. Getting new insulation blown in or adding traditional insulation to some homes may make your home a little more prepared for winter.
Blown-in insulation may not be the best choice for older homes, since it may cause the old wood in the structure to rot. Newer homes, however, may choose to use this form of insulation to save money and time in the fall before the coldest parts of winter set in. Insulating your basement can also prevent cold air from seeping into your home.
Clean Your Air Vents and Ducts
Clean air vents will allow better airflow through your home and increase the air quality in every room. Since residents of many states don’t open their windows and doors as often in the winter, it’s essential to keep the air quality within your home good.
Carbon monoxide poisoning also becomes more likely in the winter, when your home has limited fresh air and toxic gases get backed up in your rooms. Cleaning your ducts will prevent serious health problems from arising.
Weatherize Your Home with Thompson Creek
Thompson Creek can help winterize your home with new energy efficient windows, doors and siding. Reach out to our team today for a free estimate on your home projects, such as window and roof installation.