Winterize your home in 10 simple money saving steps!
October 7th 2010 11:01
As the feel of the air turns from a humid sticky feel on your skin to a cool crisp feel that you have been waiting for since the first taste of summer there is something that we all begin to think about. We begin to see wildlife begin to make their move toward the task of winter preparation. This is a task that we begin to think about for the winter. Now is the time for us to begin that dreaded preparation that we have been so unwillingly wanted to face. These following steps can help you get prepared for the winter without putting a big hole in your budget. But one thing about it these are important steps that if we neglect it could cost us enormously in the future.
We will begin our look at these steps from the outside of our home to the inside.
1. Check all of your exterior pipes and faucets. There are several different type of caps from Styrofoam to plastic that you can attach to your outside faucets to help insulate them. Make sure that you check for all exposed pipes around your home. Be sure to insulate each one. Check your main water tank that your pump fills with water. It is a great idea to have this tank covered with a shed or some type of heavy cover. Be sure to insulate all exposed water pipes before you cover them up for the winter.
2. Check all your exterior doors for any leaks around the door or door frame. Replace all your weather stripping if need be. It is not a bad idea to add a little extra for that extra protection anyway. Check your door frames and caulk any holes that may be around your frame. If you want to spend the extra money a storm door is a great investment. This door helps to provide an extra bit more protection against the elements. It also is a nice change when you can open your regular door and the storm door helps to let in a little more light on those cold winter days.
3. Check all of your exterior windows for the same type of air leaks. You will want to replace any stripping that has been lost. Also you may consider extra blinds or plastic film to help insulate if you do not have insulated windows. Also check all your screens to see if they need to be repaired or replaced. This could help out a lot when you want to raise these windows to let fresh air into the house on some of the more comfortable days.
4. Check your roofs to make sure they are free from debris in places like valleys and where different roofs meet. If your roof is clean of debris the snow will melt and travel off more freely.
Also if you have a shingle roof check for any loose shingles that may become brittle during the winter and break off during some off those winy cold days we have during winter.
5. Check all of your exterior sidings to see if you have any loose siding that needs to be fastened better. Also check to see if you may have any holes on the exterior where pipes or electrical may enter your home. Fill these voids with spray foam that you can purchase at your home supply store.
6. Check all of your gutters that you may have. During the fall time of the year you may have these gutters fill up with leaves and debris. Clean these gutter so that any rain or snow will have a clean path to drain.
7. Next we need to move inside and check the most important piece of equipment that we have for our comfort in the winter. We need to check our furnace for any problems that we may have. A routine maintenance check will be great here. We will need to replace all of the filters. We also need to clean the burners before we begin ti use them so that we can free them of dust and debris. If you have a gas furnace it is a good idea to check all your connections for leaks. It is also important that we check our units vents to make sure they have the proper draft to help move out the carbon monoxide that your unit may produce. Purchase a carbon monoxide monitor to help you stay on top of this threat.
8. It is also a good idea to make sure your pest control is up to date. These varmints and critters begin to look for a warm place to go during the winter and they always seem to find a way in.
9. Check all your flashlights and candles to make sure you have lighting during those winter outages we can expect to happen during the winter. Have several candles and fresh batteries for flashlights on hand during the winter time.
10. Last but certainly not the least important we need to keep a supply of water, can goods, and any medicine that we may need to have on hand. We need to prepare for the possibility of being snowed in for a few days and not being able to leave home. This particular step could be lifesaving!
Take the time to go over these steps to help you have a safe and comfortable winter.
Happy Conserving!
1. Check all of your exterior pipes and faucets. There are several different type of caps from Styrofoam to plastic that you can attach to your outside faucets to help insulate them. Make sure that you check for all exposed pipes around your home. Be sure to insulate each one. Check your main water tank that your pump fills with water. It is a great idea to have this tank covered with a shed or some type of heavy cover. Be sure to insulate all exposed water pipes before you cover them up for the winter.
2. Check all your exterior doors for any leaks around the door or door frame. Replace all your weather stripping if need be. It is not a bad idea to add a little extra for that extra protection anyway. Check your door frames and caulk any holes that may be around your frame. If you want to spend the extra money a storm door is a great investment. This door helps to provide an extra bit more protection against the elements. It also is a nice change when you can open your regular door and the storm door helps to let in a little more light on those cold winter days.
3. Check all of your exterior windows for the same type of air leaks. You will want to replace any stripping that has been lost. Also you may consider extra blinds or plastic film to help insulate if you do not have insulated windows. Also check all your screens to see if they need to be repaired or replaced. This could help out a lot when you want to raise these windows to let fresh air into the house on some of the more comfortable days.
4. Check your roofs to make sure they are free from debris in places like valleys and where different roofs meet. If your roof is clean of debris the snow will melt and travel off more freely.
Also if you have a shingle roof check for any loose shingles that may become brittle during the winter and break off during some off those winy cold days we have during winter.
5. Check all of your exterior sidings to see if you have any loose siding that needs to be fastened better. Also check to see if you may have any holes on the exterior where pipes or electrical may enter your home. Fill these voids with spray foam that you can purchase at your home supply store.
6. Check all of your gutters that you may have. During the fall time of the year you may have these gutters fill up with leaves and debris. Clean these gutter so that any rain or snow will have a clean path to drain.
7. Next we need to move inside and check the most important piece of equipment that we have for our comfort in the winter. We need to check our furnace for any problems that we may have. A routine maintenance check will be great here. We will need to replace all of the filters. We also need to clean the burners before we begin ti use them so that we can free them of dust and debris. If you have a gas furnace it is a good idea to check all your connections for leaks. It is also important that we check our units vents to make sure they have the proper draft to help move out the carbon monoxide that your unit may produce. Purchase a carbon monoxide monitor to help you stay on top of this threat.
8. It is also a good idea to make sure your pest control is up to date. These varmints and critters begin to look for a warm place to go during the winter and they always seem to find a way in.
9. Check all your flashlights and candles to make sure you have lighting during those winter outages we can expect to happen during the winter. Have several candles and fresh batteries for flashlights on hand during the winter time.
10. Last but certainly not the least important we need to keep a supply of water, can goods, and any medicine that we may need to have on hand. We need to prepare for the possibility of being snowed in for a few days and not being able to leave home. This particular step could be lifesaving!
Take the time to go over these steps to help you have a safe and comfortable winter.
Happy Conserving!
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