10 Tips to Keep Your Home Warm and Winter-proof

Winter is fast approaching. There are certain places in this world where temperatures can cooingly freeze down to 3°C to -23°C. That’s really cold! Some people are excited about this season because wonderful experiences can be crafted under a blanket of snow. But for some, it’s a total burden not only for their health and for their daily activities, but also for their home. That’s why they’d start preparing their home proactively. Air Conditioning Specialists share some useful tips that will help you prepare and keep your home for the winter season.

Tune up your heating system

Cooling and heating expenses make up a big chunk of your average utility bill at home thus, maintaining and taking care of the system that heats and cools your home is really important. Imagining how useful are these and how these could save you during winter/summer times will also make you think that you can’t afford to lose them at home. However, at times, no matter how strict your maintenance is, your air conditioning unit might seem to be not functioning well. And you start thinking of calling an HVAC service to find out what’s the problem. But before you call someone to do the checking for you, there are a few things you can do yourself to improve the efficiency of your furnace or heating unit.

• Check and replace your filters
• Clean the vents
• Check your ductwork

After checking out these things with your HVAC units, and still not solve your problem, it is the perfect time to call for a professional help. However, while there are some small fixes you can handle on your own, other repairs and tune-ups should be done by a professional. 

Weatherize the outside of your home

Weatherizing the outside of your home means checking for and finding air leaks and sealing them to keep the heat inside during colder months. That’s why it is important to start to weatherize your home before the winter season starts.

Seal windows and doors

Sealing your house windows and doors is essential because when your doors and windows are not sealed, cold air will come into your house during the winter months, while hot air escapes. So get your door and window sealing kit now to seal your drafty windows. This could also help you cut down your energy bills while you enjoy the warmth it gives to your home.

For sealing your doors, you could make use of draft snakes or door socks which are pieces of cloth that slide along the bottom of your door. Small plastic strips can also be used to shield your wall sockets to prevent cold air from rushing in through those holes around your house.

Seal the Leaks

If there are possible leaks, be proactive to seal them before winter starts. Installing storm windows and doors is the best – only if you can – but if it not possible, you can just replace worn weather stripping around the doors and windows and caulk any gaps. Also, if there are pipes or ducts travel through an exterior wall, be sure to use caulking and weather stripping around all routes of entry.

Heat things up

Having a fireplace or a chimney is always a good idea to save yourself from chilling during the winter season. But before you get too excited to crackle fire in your fireplace, make sure you have run and followed some precautionary measures for a safe and warm season inside your place because poorly-maintained fireplaces can cause house fires and other dangers.

Get water away from the house

The best way to get this done correctly is by hiring someone to dig big trenches and then install underground drain pipes to pull roof water away from the house.

Clean and organize lawn and garden equipment

Winter is approaching so you should start sorting out, cleaning, and organizing your lawn and garden equipment for the coming months of no use. Run your lawn mower until it runs out of gas so it would not sit in your cold garage or shed for those cold months. You can also take in for a tune-up that includes a blade sharpening, new spark plug, and a new air. And don’t forget your shovels, snow blowers, or any other winter tools you have.

Reverse your ceiling fans

The fan that will produce an updraft and push down into the room hearted air from the ceiling. This is particularly advantageous in rooms with high ceilings and it might even let you turn down your thermostat by a degree or two for greater energy savings.

Hire someone to sweep your chimney

If you are fortunate enough to have a chimney at home, know that getting it cleaned can help in heating your house better when you light a fire. For efficiency and assurance, hire a professional to sweep this area in your home.

Inspect your Generator

The winter may bring harsh, cold temperatures, and if all things fail, you may have to rely on your generator to power up the house. You may have left your generator unattended — it’s worth the time and effort to get it inspected, checked, and repaired if necessary.