Prepare Your Home for Winter with These Amazing Tips
It’s already October! We’re feeling the weather change on a daily basis now it seems. The Farmer’s Almanac is predicting a cold and snowy winter, so we want to help prepare your home for all Jack Frost can throw at it. Here are several amazing tips that will help keep your home warm and toasty for the 2015-2016 winter season.
Reverse the Ceiling Fan
The ceiling fan should be run clockwise after you start using the heat. This creates an updraft that will push warm air back down into the room, because hot air rises. This becomes extremely useful in maintaining the temperature in rooms with very high ceilings.
Look to Last Winter
Did you experience ice dams last winter? You may benefit from additional insulation in the attic. Consider this possibility and call us if you would like a free consultation. The snowmelt that creates an ice dam can leak into your home, causing structural problems over time.
Shingles
Look at your shingles to make sure they still look good. Call us if you notice any missing, loose, or damaged shingles. We’ll be glad to repair them or replace them for you. Our professional roofers have a lot of experience helping homeowners in the Colchester area make sure their roof can withstand the coming weather.
Clean the Gutters
The gutters and downspouts are absolutely necessary for the overall health of your home. They carry water away from the foundation and prevent rot, mold, mildew, and insects. Leaves and debris are very bad this time of year and need to be cleaned away from your gutters before winter weather settles in. Consider extending your downspouts for winter by simply adding an extension to keep water further away from your home. No one wants to skate through the yard during freezing weather.
Drain Exterior Pipes and Hoses
Make absolutely sure to drain exterior water pipes and hoses to prevent them from bursting this winter. Ice expands as it freezes and creates serious problems for homeowners who forget to unhook the water hose and drain exterior pipes.
Weatherize with Caulk and Weather Stripping
The caulk around your shower that prevents water from destroying your bathroom is the same caulk that is used to keep air from entering your home around windows and doors. Make sure you have an adequate amount of caulk around every window and door and that no air is able to penetrate those areas. This is often the area where the most heat escapes a home and cold air enters.
Weather stripping is available at your local hardware store and is very easy to install in both windows and doors. This is an extremely low-cost solution for weatherproofing your home. Most homeowners can apply weather stripping to all doors and windows in their home in a single day.
Laurie’s Certified Construction is located in Colchester, VT and provides all types of remodeling and homebuilding services to the surrounding areas. We love to see homeowners protect their investment throughout the year and ensure winter preparedness steps have been followed. We are also readily available to help homeowners who, despite their best efforts, experience damage to their home during freezing weather. Give us a call at 802-862-4754 to discuss your homeownership needs and we’ll schedule an appointment for a consultation.