Tips for Preparing Your Home for Winter
We are about one month away from the official start of the winter season. Are you ready? Have you prepared your home for the upcoming wintertime season? If not, I’ve got some handy tips for you today.
Tips for Preparing Your Home for Winter
* Have your furnace serviced every year before the cold season sets in. Request that the technician change out your filter and check to make sure the furnace is running properly.
* It’s time to caulk around all of your windows and doors, especially if it has been a long time since it was last done. Home owners can easily do this themselves or hire a handyman to do it for you. Caulking will help stop heat loss and keep water out.
* Turn off all of your outdoor water faucets and clean out any external water drains. If there is any water still in your outdoor pipes and hoses…drain the water out!
* If you have a fireplace and chimney it is important to have it cleaned and inspected every season before you use it!
* Replace your window coverings! Those sheer drapes and window toppers do nothing to keep the cold air out and the heat in! Invest in thermal drapery that can be easily hung during the cold winter season. In your home gets really cold…consider place temporary window film over your windows to stop heat loss. This film is found in hardware stores and discount department stores for only a few bucks.
* Buy a few draft stoppers! While they might not be too attractive to look at…they can help to keep cold drafts from coming in underneath your doors and windows.
* Buy a small portable space heater. If your furnace would go out or if the power goes out during a storm…you can still heat at least one small room in your home. When using space heaters, make sure you read the safety directions and use them properly to prevent fires.
* Prepare an emergency power outage & winter storm box! This box should include extra blankets, non-refrigerated food, bottled water, flashlights, lanterns, extra batteries, RX and over-the-counter medications, etc. Keep enough emergency supplies on hand to last you a minimum of 3 days but 5 days is more ideal.
* Purchase your snow & ice removal supplies BEFORE the winter season begins! These supplies are cheaper during the off-season and you’ll want to make sure you have them before the first storm arrives. Tip from the hubby: Pre-treat your sidewalks with de-icer agents an hour or two before the bad weather begins. This will help to prevent freezing rain & ice from sticking. Retreat those same areas every few hours to prevent build-up. Store all of these supplies out of the reach of children and pets.
* If you didn’t clean out your rain gutters during the early Fall season…now is the time to get it done! If water gets stuck in your gutters and rain spouts it can freeze, become heavy and rip them down or crack them open!
How many of you are ready for the cold winter season? If you’re not ready…now is the time to get ready! Do you have any tips to share with The Classy Chics blog readers? If so, leave your tips below!
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