As temperatures begin to drop, now is the perfect time to prepare your home for the winter months ahead. Winterizing not only helps keep your home cozy and efficient, but it also protects against potential weather-related damage. A few simple steps now can save you time, stress, and money all season long
Inspect your Exteriors
Before winter arrives, clear your gutters and downspouts of any leaves, branches, and debris. This simple step helps prevent blockages that can put strain on your gutters and roof during freezing weather. Additionally, inspect your roof to ensure all shingles are secure and intact to avoid potential issues from snow and ice buildup.
Get your Chimney Inspected
Now is the ideal time to have your chimney inspected and cleaned before the burning season begins. An annual chimney cleaning is essential for keeping your home safe, improving efficiency, and identifying damages.
Inspect your Home’s Systems
This is also a great time to check your carbon monoxide and smoke detectors, replacing batteries as needed to ensure they’re functioning properly. Additionally, inspect your furnace and replace its filter to maximize efficiency and keep dust particles out of your home’s clean, heated air
Keep the Warm Air Inside
Boost your home’s insulation by sealing drafty doorways with weatherstripping and adding double draft stoppers for larger gaps. For single-pane windows, a window insulation kit can improve efficiency by up to 90%. Consider hanging thick, thermal-backed curtains to further keep out the cold. Protect your pipes from freezing by covering them with pipe insulation. Finally, reverse your ceiling fans to rotate clockwise—this creates an updraft that pushes warm air down into your living space, helping you heat your home more evenly and potentially saving up to 10% on heating costs.
Sources: Bank Rate, Home Depot
Founded in 1971, First Weber Realtors® is a part of HomeServices of America, the nation’s largest provider of total home services. With 60 offices and more than 1,400 real estate professionals, First Weber is consistently number one in Wisconsin for unit sales and real estate sales volume. You can start searching for Wisconsin real estate and Wisconsin real estate agents at firstweber.com
