Winterize Your Home Now

Here are some main points on winterizing your home:

• Prepare your fireplace by inspecting the damper, storing chopped firewood away from your home, and removing soot and creosote.

• Call an HVAC professional to inspect and clean your furnace. The best piece of advice I can give you is to turn the furnace on and have it inspected before the coldest winter months. The last thing you want is to have a faulty furnace when the temperature starts to plummet.

• Inspect your doors and windows for cracks and exposures. According to EarthWorks Group, the average American home has leaks that amount to a nine-square-foot hole in the wall…that’s a lot of cold air coming into your home during those winter months!

• Clean out gutters and prevent the formation of potential ice dams by removing any debris. Ice dams result in water backing up and freezing in your gutters which can then cause water to seep into your house.

• Drain air conditioner pipes and shut off the AC water valve. If you’ve never experienced a burst pipe during a winter freeze now would not be the time to start. Shutting off the AC water valve and making sure the pipes are drained will save you from many unnecessary headaches this winter.

• If you leave on vacation, leave the heat on at least 55 degrees.

• Prepare an emergency kit of candles, batteries, non-perishable food items, first aid, matches/lighters, and water.

Taking these few steps before the winter weather moves in will help your protect your home and prevent future damage.