Winterize Home Checklist

Getting The House Ready For Winter Checklist

Fall is the time to get prepared and make your house ready for cold weather. A little effort and work now can save a lot of energy, time, and money afterward. Indeed, snow, ice, and cold weather can damage your house unless you prepare for the winter beforehand. Completing the checklist will make your house a lot more comfortable and warm when the thermometer drops and effectively winterize your home.

Look at the checklist below and ensure that you’ve got everything ready for winter-

Check Your Fireplace

Creosote buildup or animal nests in the fireplace can be dangerous. Before the season arrives, call a chimney sweep to clean the chimney. It would be best if you also sweep or vacuum out any accumulated ash from the firebox. 

Keep the Pipes Warm

During winters, frozen pipes can burst, causing a major debacle. If you’re not careful, they can result in severe flood damage and require complicated fixes. Don’t turn off your heat completely when you leave the house to prevent this from happening. Keep the temperature around 50 to 55°F. This temperature will be enough to ensure that your pipes to stay sufficiently warm.

Replace Your Thermostat

Get a programmable thermostat for your home to get a modern and simplistic way to deal with Winter. With the help of a programmable or smart thermostat, you customize your heating system, so it doesn’t run needlessly. When you’re at home, you can program the thermostat for one temperature and another for when you’re away.

Protect the Windows From Heat Loss

Replace the lightweight summer curtains with thermal lined drapes or curtains to keep chilly air from leaking through window gaps. These drapes will keep your house warm. Keep the drapes or curtains closed so that no cold air will enter your home.  

Put the Gardening Supplies Away

Be sure to move all outdoor appliances like lawnmowers, grills, etc., and furniture into the shed or garage. Do this before fall comes in. Also, keep any planters inside you’d like to save through the season. Remember to bring and disconnect all of the garden hoses. Coldwater or frozen water can cause the hose to split. Oil the gardening tools and store them in a warm place.

Clean your Gutters 

This time is the perfect time to clean your gutters. You can have significant problems throughout the winter without this maintenance. It can create serious foundation issues in your home as water won’t be adequately directed away from the house. Do this before the fall, as gutter covers can help prevent future buildup. Covers for the gutters can easily be found in stores nearby like Lowes and Home Depot.

Protect Your Plants

In colder areas, perennial outdoor plants can benefit from some added protection. What type of protection is needed depends on the plant. Wrap fabric burlap around tree trunks, and add 10 to 15 inches of soil in a pile around the base of rose bushes. You can also invest in unique tents around shrubs and plants if you want to get elegant. They help to protect the plants from the cold while letting water and sunlight in.

Ready for a storm

Make sure you’re ready with a survival kit, as power outages are common during winter storms. The winter home maintenance list should involve non-perishable food, bottled water, first-aid supplies, flashlights, batteries, etc.

When a storm hits, it first destroys tree branches, and overhanging parts can make excess water flow into gaps and cracks in your home’s roof, and it is one of the main reasons why you have to make sure any tree branches or limbs surrounding your house are a few feet away.

Examine Your Roof

If you have a multistory house or a steep roof, then use binoculars to examine your roof from the ground. Check if the roof of your home is in good condition. Check for warning signs like cracked or buckled shingles or any rust spots on flashing. Any missing, damaged, or loose shingles should be replaced immediately.

Safely Display Your Holiday Lights

Holiday light displays are the things that make the winter season enchanting. When you decorate your house, make sure that all the light extension cords and strands are UL-certified and intended for outdoor use. Do not run cords from outside to an indoor outlet and plug lights into a ground-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) outlet.

Summary

You’ll keep your house winter-ready and warm by preparing yourself with the checklist above. During winter, everything will dry out due to a lack of humidity in the air, causing several problems and also will affect your health.

Avoid spending your winter handling winter-related disasters with the help of this Winter-ready checklist. It’s crucial to make sure your home is ready to take the cold and get ahead of the winter weather.