Homeowner's Winter Checklist
Homeowner's Winter Checklist
Follow these 8 steps to prepare your home for the winter
This is the ultimate Homeowner's Winter Checklist to prepare for winter's freezing temperatures. Our homeowner's winter checklist makes it easy to prepare your home for winter. Follow these eight steps to keep your house cozy, warm, and energy-efficient through the cold season.
For future reference, print out a copy of our winter tips for homeowners and post it in a highly visible location. Don't let the cold weather catch you off guard. Prepare the house for winter now and enjoy the results all winter long.
8 Steps to Preparing Your Home for Winter
Insulate pipes and fixtures. Insulating pipes can help keep them closer to the temperature of the water inside them. If you insulate hot water pipes, it helps hold the heat in, while insulating cold water pipes may help avoid their freezing and bursting during extreme cold spells.
Seal up doors and windows. Adding weather stripping, window film, fresh caulk, or even thermal curtains can help keep the cold air outside and the hot air inside. Sealing the house from winter drafts helps reduce the energy necessary to keep your home cozy and warm.
Inspect internal furnace components. Your furnace should be inspected annually. Whether you're a do-it-yourselfer or you prefer to hire a professional, making sure the internal components are in good condition will keep your system working safely and efficiently.
Change your furnace filter. Replacing your furnace filter regularly helps keep your indoor air clean and your heating system running properly. A constantly dirty filter can reduce the life of your HVAC system by up to half! Why risk that?
Move furniture away from vents. Flowing hot air will have a hard time heating a room if it's cut off by furniture. Make sure your couch, dresser, or bed isn't blocking the room's source of warmth.
Test your thermostat. Make sure your thermostat is working properly and set to the optimum temperature for winter.
Flip the switch on ceiling fans. For a warmer room, make sure the direction of the fan is clockwise to force the warm air, which naturally rises to the ceiling, back down toward the floor.
Stock up on de-icing salt. Make sure your family and friends are safe on your property by keeping de-icing salt on hand. Nobody wants bruises – or worse, broken bones – from a fall on stairs or a sidewalk. Spreading de-icing salt as needed is an easy way to prevent winter-related accidents.
Do you want to learn more ways to save energy and keep your home healthy? Check out our Helpful Tips page for great ideas!
