For many, the first snowfall of the year is a beautiful sight, for others, some serious consideration may go into packing up and moving down to sunny, warm Mexico. Either way, no matter how you feel about winter, it's much more enjoyable when your home is ready to take on the freezing cold temperatures.
Here are my Top 7 ways you can winterize your home so you can better enjoy the colder, winter weather.
1. Check Your Fireplace
Take the time to sweep the ashes and dust out of your fireplace. If it’s been or more since your last chimney inspection, call a professional to take a look. A buildup of creosote in your chimney is a really big fire hazard so it needs to be cleaned out yearly.
2. Direction of Your Ceiling Fan
If you’re lucky enough to have a ceiling fan, be sure to change the direction of the blades so they turn clockwise. The clockwise movement works to push the warm air downwards into your living space.
3. Weather Stripping???
Look around the edges of your doors and windows carefully, if you notice gaps and can feel a draft with your fingers, install weather stripping to fill in those areas. This easy improvement can make a huge difference when the winter winds start to blow and temperatures really drop.
4. Prep Your Pipes
I’m not talking about your biceps, I’m speaking about proper insulation around the water pipes in your home - wrapping insulation around them can prevent them from freezing.
5. Prepare Your Outdoor Faucets
If you haven't already, be sure to remove the garden hose from your outdoor faucet so the water inside won’t freeze - causing it to back up into your house! Place an outdoor faucet cover over the spigot to provide it with further protection from the elements.
6. Clean the Gutters
Be sure to clean your gutters before it snows, so when the snow melts the water can travel through them and away from your home.
7. Check Your Garage Door
Ensure your garage door is operating properly, if it’s making strange noises, hesitating on its way up or down or there are any other issues, arrange for a garage door technician to inspect it. If you notice a gap beneath your closed garage door, check it to see if the bottom weather seal needs to be replaced.