As the leaves turn colors and the days grow shorter, you know that fall is in the air. In just a few short months, winter will be here, bringing colder temperatures and winter weather to many places across the country. Getting yourself prepared for winter is easy. Break out the gloves, scarfs, jackets, and boots, and you’re ready to go! Unfortunately, getting your home ready for the colder months isn’t that easy. Until someone comes up with a giant sweater that you can slip over your home, there are a few things that you need to do to prepare for winter.
From your windows and doors to the heating and plumbing, there are a few areas that you should address to be ready for the cold. In the process of winterizing your home, you might find that you need replacement windows, a weather seal, or even a new HVAC system. Hopefully, your home will require minimal work to get it “winter-ready” but you need to take certain steps to keep your home in good shape. As an example, most experts agree that a typical HVAC system lasts 15 – 20 years. This can be extended, however, with regular maintenance. No matter the case, it’s better to catch any problems before winter weather arrives and you’re stuck in the cold, literally.
Prepping for the cold means performing routine maintenance to make sure that your home is in working order. Let’s look at some things that you should do to get your home ready for the cold weather.
Stop the leaks.
During the cold months, homeowners will want to ensure that any drafts are kept to a minimum. While inspecting your home to prepare for winter, you should check the caulking or silicone around all of your windows and doors to ensure that things are air-tight. Check for worn weather stripping around doors and ineffective door stops. Unfiled gaps around your windows and doors will allow cold air in. This will make your home colder, cause your heating system to work harder, and increase your energy bills. Additionally, it might be worth investing in new windows if you have older leaky windows before winter arrives.
During your prep for the winter, you might find that you need new windows altogether. New all weather seal windows can make a huge difference during both the summer and winter. With top-quality weather seal and energy-efficient technology, new vinyl replacement windows can do an amazing job of maintaining your home’s temperature. If you suspect that you need new windows, you should contact a contractor to help you with the process.
Check the HVAC.
A periodic times throughout the year, you’ll want to perform regular maintenance on your cooling and heating system. It’s always a good idea to do a thorough inspection and perform maintenance on your HVAC system before the summer and winter seasons. To ensure that the system performs at maximum efficiency, you can perform a monthly maintenance HVAC check. There are some things that you do yourself. However, you’ll want to contact an HVAC technician to help you with this. They can check things like your ducts, airflow, condenser unit, and compressor to ensure functionality. They can also perform any maintenance that needs to be done to get you ready for winter.
Prep your plumbing.
To prepare for outside temperatures that might dip below freezing, you’ll want to prep your plumbing to prevent any expensive burst pipes. Drain the water for your outdoor faucets and hoses and make arrangements to have in-ground sprinklers pipes taken care of. Check for any problem pipes prone to freezing and winterize them with insulation and heat tape. A busted pipe can create a very costly repair situation.
With cold weather on the horizon, now is the time to prepare your home. Checking your windows, doors, HVAC system, and pipes can help ensure that your home stays warm and safe during the winter.
To read more on topics like this, check out the Home & Garden category
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