When it comes to preparing your home for the bitter cold of winter, there are plenty of steps to take. It comes down to how prepared you want to be, and how much work you want to put in. You can simply turn the thermostat up and be done, or you can go as in-depth as renovating your entire heating system and insulating every draft location in the home. It’s a personal preference and regardless of your choice, we have a detailed list of ways to proof your home to keep you cozy and comfortable all winter long.
The best (and most common) way to get your home ready for winter is to make sure your heating system is up to date and running smoothly. Make sure the furnace is firing and the filters are clean. Check out our blog on furnaces for more information on that topic. Another relatively unknown and super effective tactic is to run your ceiling fans in reverse if you have any. This will redistribute the warmer air throughout the space.
Our next method for keeping the house prepped is to seal all drafts coming into the home. Drafts allow two bad things to happen. They let the hot air you pay for make its’ way out and allow the uncomfortable cold air to make its way in. Neither of those is ideal, and there are two ways for you to fix it. The cheap and easy way: Simply grab some fabric, roll it up, and cover the draft. Plain, simple, and highly effective. Although it does require you to reset it every single time that you open that fixture, and it generally doesn’t look very appealing.
The second option is to get yourself a nice set of storm doors/windows. Storm equipment is incredibly effective year-round, as it keeps the air you want in and the air you don’t want out. They can get pricey, but for how long they will last and how much money they will save you over time they will be well worth the investment. Another additional feature of these storm fixtures is the mounting value they add to your property, should you be looking to sell the home in the near future.
Additional methods like leaving your cabinets open to allow for better airflow will help prevent frozen pipes by letting that warm air affect the cold spots in your cupboards and cabinets. Insulating important pipes in the home with foam wraps/strips is also an extremely effective way of ensuring the fixtures that you want to keep warm, stay warm. Many homeowners also forget about the big garage door that likely has the largest draft in the entire home. Be sure to keep the big guy sealed tight!
