How to Prepare Your Home for Cold Weather

Written by  //  November 19, 2018  //  Other Home Issues  //  Comments Off on How to Prepare Your Home for Cold Weather

winter prep

Winter will be here before you realize it, but the cold weather is already arriving on the autumn winds. If you still haven’t prepared your home for the colder weather, here are four things you can do this weekend to get started.

Clean the Gutters

Your gutters become cluttered with twigs, leaves and other debris during the spring, summer, and autumn. Before the cold weather of winter arrives, it’s a good idea to put aside some time to clean out your gutters. Once the snow begins to fall and ice begins to form, the debris in your gutters will turn into a large block of ice. This block of ice will block your gutters and could cause it to collapse.

Air Conditioner Maintenance

Scheduling air conditioner maintenance is a great way to help keep it in optimal working condition while it’s powered down for winter. Your air conditioning unit should be regularly serviced on a yearly basis anyway to ensure the compressor is working properly and the Freon is at proper levels. Scheduling air conditioner maintenance will help to prepare your unit for when spring and summer arrive. Additionally, an AC repair professional will properly shut down your air conditioner for the winter and give you tips on how to protect it from ice and snow.

Apply Weather-stripping

As the cold weather descends upon your area, you’re going to notice cold drafts blowing into your home. The presence of cold drafts will increase your energy bill and will make your home too cold to be comfortably inhabited. A great way to protect your home from cold drafts is to apply weather-strips  on your doors and windows. Weather-strips act as a sealant that plugs gaps and prevents cold air from penetrating the warm sanctuary of your home. It’s affordable and easy to install yourself as an indoor weekend project.

Protect Your Plumbing

The frigid temperatures of winter can cause serious damage to your outdoor plumbing. Any pipes that are outside of your home, such as any that are in your crawl spaces, are susceptible to freezing. Pipes that become frozen can crack or break, resulting in a disruption in your water service and water damage. To prevent this from happening, purchase foam pipe insulation and install it on your outdoor pipes. It’s an easy and quick do-it-yourself project that will save you hundreds of dollars.

While you’re getting your air conditioner serviced, you should also have your furnace serviced as well. You will need your furnace for the cold weather, and you don’t want to wait until the first snow day to find that your furnace is malfunctioning.

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