Property Owner Guide

5 Ways to Winterize Your Home This Season

So, you’ve made it through the summer, and now it’s time to start preparing for winter. While this might be simple if you lived in a temperate climate, people who live in places like Seattle or Boston know that the temperature is going to drop soon enough. The best way to keep your home ready for the seasonal change is by doing a few things before the cold weather arrives. Winter is a perfect time to clean your home and make sure it’s ready for the cold months ahead. If you haven’t already, use these tips to winterize your home:

1. Winterize your windows

Windows are the largest openings in your home, so they tend to let in a lot of cold air. This is why you might see condensation build up on them during winter months, or even frosting over from ice crystals forming on their outer edges. The good news is that it’s not difficult to have home renovation contractors fix this problem and make sure that your windows are fully sealed for the winter!

First and foremost, home renovation contractors will check for any leaks around the window frames and seals by looking for cracks or gaps between the sashes and jambs (the vertical pieces of wood framing each side of each window). If they find any holes—and chances are they will—they will use weather stripping tape to seal them up tight before applying caulk all around the joints where two pieces come together. That way no air can get through when temperatures drop low enough outside during winter months; if it does manage somehow still get inside despite these precautions taken beforehand then it’ll just warm itself back up again before escaping out through another opening somewhere else instead.”

2. Clean and prep the fireplace

Have home renovation contractors check the fireplace for any ashes or soot. If it’s time to clean out your fireplace, use a vacuum cleaner to remove any loose debris from the ash box and chimney. Be careful not to disturb the hot embers with your brush or vacuum cleaner.

If you’re planning on using your fireplace this winter season, home renovation contractors will make sure that all screens are in place and fit tightly. They will also check that the damper is fully shut and working smoothly before you use it again. Finally, home renovation contractors inspect anything that goes up through the chimney (such as an electrical cable) for signs of wear or damage—this will help prevent fires in your house!

3. Create a nest around your pipes

• Have home renovation contractors Insulate pipes. PVC pipes freeze when they get below 35 degrees Fahrenheit (2°C), so you need to insulate them with a dense material like foam or pipe wrap. If you have metal pipes, wrap the area around them in insulation and caulk it in place.
• Heat tape or cable is another option for keeping your home’s water pipes from freezing—it can be wrapped around exposed sections of pipe, but keep in mind that these are only effective if temperatures are kept above freezing at all times!

4. Seasonal tune-up for the heating system

• Hire home renovation contractors to check the heating system for leaks. The most common way to use energy, heating accounts for about half of a typical household’s bill. Leaky ducts can waste up to 30% of heating costs, so it’s important to check your furnace before the cold weather sets in.
• Adjust thermostat settings according to your usage habits and family size. Each degree that you set back on your temperature at night will result in about $100 per year in savings. You could also adjust how often you have a/c by turning it down by one degree while sleeping or at home during the day when no one is home and then turning it back up when everyone returns from work or school (or if someone gets sick).
• Improve insulation levels around doors, windows and walls inside your home – this includes sealing up any cracks where air seeps through using caulk or foam sealant applied directly into the gaps between surfaces where there are openings that allow drafts of cold air inside during winter months!

5. Keep your home warm

• Get a programmable thermostat and learn how to use it.
• Install a programmable thermostat.
• Get a smart thermostat and install it yourself, or hire someone else to do it for you (it’s not that hard).
• Turn down the temperature at night so your heating system doesn’t constantly kick on.

Conclusion

We hope these tips will help you keep your house in shape for the winter. Remember that not every tip is going to work for everyone’s home, so be sure to do a little research and pick out the ones best suited to your needs. Get in contact with home renovation contractors if you have any questions or comments about winterizing your home!