Best Ways to Winterize Your Home This Year
Winterizing your home is important to keeping it cozy inside all season long.
It’s not this year but every year. Living in Maryland, our weather is unpredictable. We can go from a beautiful 70 degrees fall day to ice-rain in 24 hours. Now, the past few winters haven’t been as bad compared to past snowmageddons but we just might be due for one. That is why no matter what, you should winterize your home. It is usually the largest investment we make and therefore should protect it. To help you get started, we have broken down a few lists of what you can do, what you should probably get a professional for, and bigger considerations. Here are some of the best ways to keep your home safe this winter season:
Easy DIY Weatherproofing
When it comes to your home, there are some great ways to winterize that you can do yourself. The best part? It’s very budget-friendly. Many of these tasks only take your time or minimal materials.
- Change your ceiling fans to move clockwise to help push the hot air down.
- Flush your water heater via the drain valve to clear out any sediment at the bottom.
- Caulk any gaps in siding and windows. You can also use weatherstripping tape on windows.
- Replace weather stripping on doors and/or get draft guards for the doors.
- Regularly change out the filters to help improve your HVAC systems efficiency.
- Disconnect outside hoses from the house so they don’t freeze and break.
- Change the batteries in smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors.
Professional Help Winterizing
Not everyone has the time or knowledge on how to maintain every inch of their property. That is why we hire professionals to assist. While these are things you can do yourself, we do recommend for your safety you have experience before attempting these tasks. Otherwise, call a local professional to help.
- Schedule an HVAC check-up. They can do regular maintenance and notify you of any issues.
- Clean your gutters of leaves and debris. If you don’t have the right tools, call a professional.
- Contact a roofing expert to look for damaged roof shingles and loose gutters too.
- Have any chimneys or wood stoves professionally cleaned and inspected to make sure they are working properly.
- Make sure to also have your HVAC maintenance team look at the pipes to see if they are properly insulated.
Not many things need to be done by a professional. Yet, if it has been a year or so since any of these have been done, we highly recommend an expert take care of them.
Additional Considerations
Every year you should be winterizing your home. However, if you find that the effort above isn’t enough to keep the chill away inside, that is a problem. Indoor air quality is important during the winter. You may want to consider updating the following for your home:
- Install new windows. Many Maryland homes come with old wood windows that expand and contract with the heat and cold. After many seasons, this leaves gaps that can’t be helped with simple weatherstripping. It may be time to invest in new and updated windows.
- Replace your insulation. This can be quite a job, so don’t just assume this has to be done. Have a professional, like 7th State Builders, come out and assess your home first. We can safely tell you if your insulation needs to be replaced. In addition, we can recommend the best materials for the job.
- Buy a new thermostat. Many utility companies, like BGE, give you discounts on buying new and programable thermostats. You can buy ones that you can control from your phone or schedule to turn off when you are away. It’s energy-efficient and save you money just in time for the holidays.
Obviously, these aren’t things you need to do every year. Still, spending the money now to make sure your heat doesn’t go right out the window, literally, saves you money. If you have questions about new windows, doors, and roofing, we can help. While we don’t provide cleaning services or HVAC maintenance, we do help homeowners with updating important features on their homes. Contact us today to learn more about winterizing your home.
