How to Make Your Home Winter Ready
KEY UPGRADES + MAINTENANCE TIPS
Winter is just around the corner, and now is the perfect time to ensure your home is ready for the colder months ahead. By making a few key upgrades and focusing on essential maintenance tasks, you can enhance your home’s comfort, improve energy efficiency, and avoid costly repairs. Here's a guide on how to get your home winter-ready.
1. Improve Your Home's Insulation
One of the most important steps to keep your home warm in winter is improving insulation. Poor insulation leads to heat loss, which can make your home feel colder and result in higher heating bills.
Key Areas to Insulate:
Attic: Since heat rises, an uninsulated attic is one of the main culprits of heat loss. Adding insulation to the attic floor can significantly improve the warmth in your home.
Walls and Floors: Insulating the exterior walls and the floor above unheated spaces (like a basement or garage) can also reduce heat loss.
Tip: Look for insulation with a higher R-value, which indicates better thermal resistance, ensuring greater efficiency at keeping the heat in.
2. Weatherproof Your Windows and Doors
Drafty windows and doors can make your home less energy efficient and feel colder. Weatherproofing them can help you retain more heat and keep the cold out.
How to Weatherproof:
Caulking Gaps: Apply caulk around window frames and door edges to seal any cracks where cold air might seep through.
Weather Stripping: Add weather stripping around door frames and window sashes to create a tight seal when closed.
Window Film: Apply insulating window film to your windows to add an extra layer of protection and reduce heat loss.
Upgrade Option: If your windows are outdated, consider upgrading to double- or triple-glazed windows, which offer better insulation and reduce heat transfer.
3. Upgrade Your Heating System
A reliable heating system is essential for a cozy home during the winter months. If your heating system is old or inefficient, it might be time for an upgrade to enhance both comfort and energy efficiency.
Heating System Upgrades:
High-Efficiency Furnace: Upgrading to a high-efficiency furnace can save you money on energy bills by using less fuel to heat your home. Look for furnaces with an Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE) rating of 90% or higher.
Smart Thermostat: Installing a smart thermostat can help you control your heating more efficiently. It allows you to program temperatures based on your daily routine and can be controlled remotely, ensuring you only heat your home when needed.
Tip: Schedule a professional inspection and cleaning of your HVAC system to ensure it’s running efficiently and catch any potential problems before the cold sets in.
4. Seal and Insulate Ductwork
Leaky ductwork can cause warm air to escape before it reaches your living spaces, leading to higher heating costs and reduced comfort.
How to Seal Ducts:
Inspect Ducts: Check for gaps or loose connections in your ductwork, especially in unheated areas like attics or basements.
Seal Leaks: Use mastic sealant or metal-backed tape to seal any leaks in the ducts. Avoid regular duct tape, as it can deteriorate over time.
Insulate: If your ducts run through unheated areas, wrapping them in insulation can help reduce heat loss and ensure warm air reaches your living spaces more effectively.
5. Check and Clean Your Chimney
If you have a fireplace, now is the time to ensure your chimney is clean and ready for winter use. A dirty or blocked chimney can lead to poor ventilation and increase the risk of fires or carbon monoxide buildup.
Chimney Maintenance Tips:
Hire a Chimney Sweep: Have your chimney professionally cleaned at least once a year to remove creosote buildup, which can be a fire hazard.
Check for Cracks: Inspect the chimney for any cracks or damage, and have them repaired to prevent drafts or leaks.
Install a Chimney Cap: A chimney cap can help keep out debris, rain, and small animals, while also preventing drafts.
6. Reverse Ceiling Fans
Ceiling fans are often associated with cooling, but they can also help keep your home warm in winter. Most ceiling fans have a reverse switch, which changes the direction of the blades. By reversing the fan to rotate clockwise at a low speed, it pushes the warm air that rises to the ceiling back down into the room.
Tip: Use this trick in rooms with high ceilings to maintain a consistent temperature throughout the space.
7. Inspect Your Roof and Gutters
Winter weather can be hard on your roof, so it’s important to check for any potential issues before snow or ice arrives.
Roof and Gutter Tips:
Check for Damage: Inspect your roof for missing or damaged shingles that could lead to leaks. Repair any problems to prevent water from seeping into your home.
Clean Gutters: Clear out leaves and debris from your gutters to prevent ice dams, which can cause water to back up under your roof and lead to leaks or damage.
Upgrade Option: If your roof is old, consider upgrading to more durable materials like metal or asphalt shingles designed to withstand extreme weather conditions.
8. Add Draft Stoppers
Draft stoppers (or door snakes) are an inexpensive and easy solution to stop cold air from coming in under doors. They can be placed at the bottom of exterior doors or windows to block drafts and help keep warm air inside.
Tip: For an easy DIY draft stopper, use rolled-up towels or old socks filled with sand or rice.
Making your home winter-ready doesn’t have to be overwhelming. By taking the time to insulate properly, weatherproof windows and doors, and upgrade your heating system, you’ll not only enhance comfort but also save on energy costs. Start these key upgrades and maintenance tasks before the temperatures drop, and you’ll enjoy a warm, cozy, and efficient home all winter long.
Ready to make your home winter-proof? Contact us at Building Brothers Contracting for expert help with all your seasonal maintenance and home upgrade needs!