With winter upon us, it’s time to ensure that your home is ready for the arrival of cold weather. Winterizing your home will help make certain that you’re able to keep your utility bills low while staying warm and comfortable even during the coldest months of the year. Below, we’ll cover five critical tips to help you achieve that goal.
Check Your Windows
Your home’s windows allow light in during the day and can be opened to help circulate air. However, they’re also sources of heat loss during the winter. This is particularly true for older homes where the caulking around the windows has dried and shrunk. Check your windows for dried, cracked, or damaged caulking and fill in any gaps. A home energy audit may also pinpoint windows where indoor air is escaping to the outside.
Check Your Attic
One of the most common sources of heat loss in a home is through the attic or ceiling crawlspace. The simplest way to stop this is by making sure that the space is well-insulated. You should have 12 inches of insulation in the attic. Climb up the ladder and look around. Can you see the tops of the ceiling joists? If so, you don’t have enough insulation and the heat in your home will escape through the attic. You can use foam or fiberfill insulation – just add enough so that the joists are completely covered.
Check for Air Leaks Around Your Doors
Just like your windows, the doors in your home can allow warm air to escape and cold air to enter. Check the weatherstripping around the entire doorframe and replace it if necessary. If there is a gap between the bottom of your door and the floor, you’ll need to install a draft guard. Finally, check for any gaps, cracks, or holes around the door and fill them with caulk.
Install a Mini-Split Unit
If you’re looking for a way to maintain a comfortable temperature in the living spaces of your home while reducing energy consumption, a ductless mini-split unit might be exactly what you need. These units are sized to work with individual rooms rather than heating and cooling the entire home, and they can be installed just about anywhere. Plus, true to their name, there is no ductwork to worry about, offering flexibility and convenience.
Check Your Roof
Have your roof inspected before the winter weather arrives. Check for missing, damaged, or curling shingles and replace them. While you’re inspecting it, check for any gaps or holes in the eaves that might allow air in or out of the home and seal them up. Debris like leaves and branches should be removed from the roof, particularly from any valleys where they might form dams.
Clear the yard
Another way to ensure that your home is ready for the winter is to check if you have cleared the yard, trimmed down the trees and removed their dead branches, and cleared the yard of debris and extra leaves. Trees tend to get weak from the wind, ice, and snow, which causes the branches to fall off and potentially cause damage to your houses and even to those walking by the tree. Hence, you shouldn’t be missing out on clearing the yard.
Check your pipes and gutters
When the gutters of your house remain full of trash, they tend to lead the water to gather up against the house, and the overflow of the water can cause severe damage to roofs. Due to the unclogged pipes, water can get stuck inside pipes, leading them to erupt at one point. Clean your pipes, especially before winter, as there is a high chance that the jammed water may freeze and expand to become ice.
Take Care of Damp Walls
The leaks in the house cause the dampening of walls. These leakages are caused by excessive rainfall, which then ends up making your home extremely cold and unpleasant during the winter. There are some ways you can get rid of the dampness; white cement, plaster of Paris, a coat of paint, and putty can do the trick and will possibly water-proof your home.
Stay Warm and Cozy This Winter
With these tips, you should be ready for whatever winter might throw your way. You’ll be able to stay warm and comfortable indoors while reducing your energy consumption and lowering your utility bills.
Are you looking to work with an experienced team of HVAC Technicians ? Call Home Mechanics for your heating, cooling, plumbing, and electrical needs or email us directly at info@homemechanics.com. We are always ready to provide you with the best HVAC solutions.
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