Get Your Whole Home Ready for Winter
The leaves are falling, there's a nip in the air—which means that winter's not far away. Before the snow flies, use our checklist to make sure your house is winter-ready.
- Shut-off water valves - Locate water valves for backyard and garage (usually in the basement) and turn off, open outside valve and drain them. This will protect you pipe from bursting.
- Add weatherstripping to doors and windows. Don't let your heat escape through small cracks and gaps-seal drafty spaces using weatherstripping or caulk. Here are more helpful tips on sealing up air leaks in your home.
- Check your insulation. If you're in an older home, you may want to supplement the insulation that's already there, or add insulation to uninsulated walls. This will help keep heat in and moisture out.
- Clean your dryer vent. Inside and out. If you have a gas dryer, unplug it and shut off the gas supply at the appliance shut-off valve. Unhook the tube that leads to the vent and clean out as much lint as you can. If you have a wet/dry vac, tackle your exterior vent as well.
- Inspect your roof and chimney, and do any repairs that are needed. Look for cracked shingles, crumbling masonry and damaged or missing flashing. While you're looking at your chimney, take a look at your fireplace as well—make sure the damper opens and closes easily, and get the chimney cleaned if you haven't already this year.
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