Winterizing your home can save you money and lessen the risk of a winter weather-related emergency. The best time to winterize is now, before the snow starts flying. Here is what we do to prepare for winter:
Stay warm and safe
*Get your furnace checked by a professional. A well-tuned furnace will heat more efficiently and is less likely to break down in the middle of a snow storm. If you have a natural gas or oil furnace, you’ll want the peace of mind of knowing that you’ve reduced the chances of a deadly CO2 leak.
Have a couple extra filters on hand before the professional arrives. His filters will cost double what they do in the hardware store. You’ll also want a couple extras on hand in case you need to replace it later in the season.
*Seal up drafts around windows, doors and plug outlets. Put caulking around windows and replace worn weather stripping around doors. If your doors don’t have weather stripping, put in a foam rubber strip around the door jamb. The caulking and foam rubber gasket cost less than $5 at the hardware store and will save you a lot on heating bills.
A good furnace professional will:
- Lubricate the moving parts of your system to reduce friction.
- Check the gas pressure and burner combustion to ensure they meet system specifications.
- Measure the current and voltage on the motor for efficiency.
- Clean the blower assembly and confirm proper airflow.
- Clean the heat exchanger and inspect it for cracks and corrosion.
- Inspect the terminals and wiring for corrosion, and apply a nonconductive coating if it’s needed.
- Test for dangerous carbon monoxide leaks.
- Inspect the ventilation system to ensure proper venting of gases.
- Inspect ductowrk for loose joints, and seal with mastic duct sealant.
- Check your thermostat for accuracy.
- Tighten electrical and gas connections.
- Test the system controls to ensure your furnace cycles properly.
*You can also put a Draft Dodger or Door Draft Snake at the bottom of doors and windows. Make your own for pennies.
*If you have single pane windows, you may want to invest in a window insulation kit: plastic sheeting that you secure around the window with thumb tacks or double-sided tape.
*If you notice a draft from plug and light switch outlets, add caulking and/or spray insulation.
*Insulate water pipes. Pay special attention to pipes that are in a crawl space or on an outside wall. One year the weather was so cold in our laundry room that the pipes froze and burst. That was an expensive lesson to learn.
*Check the insulation in the attic. If needed, replace or add to the insulation.
*Replace the batteries on your smoke and CO2 detectors and makes sure you have a functioning fire extinguisher.
In the yard:
*Check your roof and replace any missing or loose shingles.
*Disconnect all the garden hoses, drain them and put them in the garage or shed.
*Clean out your gutters. It’s not just the fall leaves and debris, but dead birds and rodents can also clog your gutters. That’s what we discovered the first spring after we moved into our house: a dead squirrel came out the down spout. That was when we installed some gutter protectors. The gutter protector means we have minimal cleaning to do each year. They also keep the squirrels out.
*If you have a crawl space, you should insulate it, especially if there are water pipes in the crawl space.
*Cover lawn furniture. Better yet, move it into the garage or a shed if you have room.
*Clean your grill and disconnect the propane tank. Cover it or better yet, bring it into the garage or shed.
*Make sure snow shovels are clean and ready to go. We like to put paraffin wax on the shovel blade to prevent rust and keep the snow from sticking.
*If you didn’t do this last spring as winter was ending, you’ll want to tune up the snow blowers. Check the spark plugs, change the oil and put fresh gas in.
*Have a good supply of kitty litter or sand to use as traction on the front steps and sidewalk.
*Rock salt will help melt ice, but it is caustic. It can erode cement or brick steps and rust metal stairs. If pets, animals or young children ingest it, it can make them sick. Too much rock salt will kill your grass. There are other ice-melting granules on the market, but even these can be bad if overused. I find it’s just better to keep on top of the snow removal and only use ice melt granules when it all becomes too much.
*For removing light snow from the steps and sidewalk, get yourself a sturdy barn broom. You want the kind that are made with coconut bristles, not flimsy plastic or corn bristles. We get ours at the local hardware store or Mills Fleet Farm. It’s perfect for removing light snowfall from the steps and sidewalk, getting into all the corners and edges before the snow becomes compacted.
Be ready for a power outage
*Have alternate heating ready in case of a power outage. In our area, a prolonged power outage can be deadly. Wearing extra clothing or sealing off a room to conserve heat won’t be enough. You’ll want a propane heater or wood burning stove.
The new propane heaters like this Mr. Heater will heat a medium-sized room. It will automatically shut off if it senses low oxygen in the room. It has an automatic shut-off if it gets knocked over by children or pets. But even with these safety features, you’ll want to have a working CO2 detector and keep children and pets away from the heater.
*Have some sort of non-electric light. Candles or kerosene lamps are OK but they do present a fire risk and don’t give off a lot of light. There are lots of battery-, solar- and hand-powered lights on the market. Try a couple different models and get something that fits your needs.
Sleep through the storms
Take time now to winterize your home before winter comes and you’ll be able to sleep through the storms, confident that you are ready for the worst the season can throw at you.
