Shorter days and colder temperatures are here! That means it is time to take steps to protect yourself and your family – and your property investment – by winterizing your home. With the change in seasons, our attention often shifts to enjoying time indoors in front of a blazing fire, entertaining guests for the holidays, or simply curling up with a great book and throw blanket. Home winterization is important, not only to prevent damage to your home from leaky or burst pipes, but also to ensure that drafts and chilly air stay outside.
These tips for winterizing your home are generally not labor-intensive or expensive and many of them can be completed over a weekend. If you would rather have a professional help you check for drafts, leaks, exposed pipes and assist with cleaning filters and vents, we are happy to help our Central Oregon friends with home winterization. Just call 541-788-1095 soon!
Plan a weekend to complete this checklist, make sure you have a good shovel for when the snow flies, and prepare to hunker down for the next few months! Once you protect your home for the winter ahead, you can focus on more important things like enjoying the holidays or catching up on Netflix.
- Check and replace window and door weatherstripping and/or install foam tape or caulking
- Clean air filters and check vents
- Inspect and clean chimneys, fireplaces and flues
- Seasonal furnace maintenance
- Check roof and gutters
- Protect water pipes and blow out sprinkler systems
- Clear vegetation overhanging sidewalks, walkways and driveways
The first item on the list is aimed at preventing or stopping leaks of cold air into your home. Existing rubber-based weatherstripping can break down over time, losing its effectiveness to seal the small cracks around doors and windows. Fortunately, this is inexpensive to buy and easy to replace, but equally effective – particularly around windows – are foam tape or caulking. Any of these items can be found at your local hardware store or online. You may also want to consider installing insulating window curtains.
Next, you will want to clean air filters and check vents around your home. Clean filters will improve the efficiency of your heating system and will reduce risk of fire from sparks. Foundation vents can be temporarily sealed (as Frank is doing in the photo above) with styrofoam material to minimize introduction of cold air inside. Cleaning other vents from your clothes dryer and stove/microwave is also important at least twice per year as regular maintenance for optimal performance of your appliances, reduce indoor dust, and to minimize fire hazards.
Along the same lines, coming in at the third item to winterize your home, is inspecting and cleaning chimneys, fireplaces and flues. Chimney inspection is necessary to determine if there are any unsafe blockages (birds nests, etc.) Once you’re sure that the chimney is clear and your fireplace is clean, be sure your flue is open before you light your first fire of the season! These tips are important to protect your home during winter, both from fire and smoke damage.
Number four is to schedule seasonal furnace maintenance. Before you crank up the heat, have a professional perform a tune-up to make sure that your furnace is functioning properly and at capacity. You may be able to extend the life of your furnace by addressing wear and tear problems before they increase in severity. With a more efficient furnace, you might also save some money on heating bills!
Fifth, check your roof and gutters. Worn out or missing shingles, moss, mold or rot, or missing/damaged chimney flashings could be signs of water damage and/or allow leaks into your home during winter months. Determining the health of your roof early could allow you time to schedule immediate repairs before heavy snowfall. Gutters should also be inspected and cleaned to optimize functioning during the wetter winter months. Here in Central Oregon, we need to be aware of the danger of ice dams. Clean gutters and regular roof snow removal can minimize those risks.
Coming up as number six, be sure to protect your water pipes and blow out sprinkler systems, if you have one. At each water spigot outside, unscrew and coil up any connected hoses and drain the water out of them. Coil and store in a dry place such as the garage or a shed. Cover all outdoor faucets with an insulating sleeve or covering available at home improvement stores or online. To protect indoor pipes from freezing – which can lead to breakage and leaks, exposed piping in all areas of your home should be insulated. Don’t forget to check for piping in unused areas of the home, such as basements, crawl spaces or attics. Wrap with electrical heating tape then cover with an insulating sleeve. Of all the home winterizing tips, this one is among the most easy to do and most expensive to fix should your pipes freeze and burst! If you will be out of town for any extended time, consider shutting off your water. This is less expensive than allowing slow drips from each indoor faucet.
Finally, clear all walkways to and from and around your home from any overhanging or intrusive vegetation. Winter walking can be hazardous with snow and ice. Branches that block or obstruct walkways and driveways can add to the danger and make it more difficult to clear when the time comes. Winter yard cleanup is another service we provide, as well as snow clearing!
Call us at 541-788-1095 and get a jump on winter!
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