Preparing Your Home for the Winter

As the weather cools, there are several things you should do to prepare your home for the winter. Here is some practical advice to not only protect yourself and your home but also make it a bit more cozy during the winter.

Clean Your Fireplace & Other Fire Hazards

Multiple systems in your home are fire hazards and when you’re actively heating your home, your risk increases. That’s why it’s important to clean them before the winter. If you have a fireplace that you intend to use, hire a chimney sweeper to clean out the creosote that builds up as you burn logs. No matter your heating system, propane furnace, oil boiler, or pellet stove to name a few, you must get these serviced yearly. You’ll reduce your risk of fire and help your system last longer. One more fire hazard you should clean yearly is your dryer vents. Dryer lint can build up, making your dryer less effective and even causing a fire if the heat has no way to escape.

Winterize Your Water

The water pipes that are not in a climate-controlled part of your home, like outdoor faucets and unfinished basements, are at risk of freezing. You don’t want your water pipes to freeze, as the water can expand and burst your pipes. Wrap your basement pipes in insulation to protect them. For your outdoor spigots, shut off the valve leading to the spigot, drain them, and wrap them in a thermal cover.

Re-Caulk Your Windows

If you have drafty windows, your heat will escape the house and make it cooler inside as the chilly air comes in. It’ll cost you money in the long run to keep it warm. Take an afternoon to go around and re-caulk every window in your house to keep them sealed from the cold.

Gather Supplies

Be sure to grab your winter tools out of storage before you need them. That includes winter clothes, boots, and blankets or quilts to keep you warm and dry. It also includes your snow shovels and snow blower. Stock up on your consumables for the winter, too. This includes rock salt for your driveway, fuel for your heating system, and wood for your fireplace.

Decorate Your Home

Lastly, you should take some time to decorate your home with cute winter decorations. Christmas lights, Christmas trees, and wreaths are a given, but there are some other great decorations you could buy for after the Christmas season. Snowmen and evergreens still make great decorative themes during January and February. Check out the interior decor available from locals on Plain Direct.