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The bright sunny days have come to an end and no doubt the entire household is slowly making the transition into its winter routine. Homeowners, you know what this means: it’s the final chance for us to make sure the house is well prepared for icy rain storms and heavy snow. Winter is notorious for damaging a home. Below are some steps you can take to be properly prepared for the months ahead.

Step 1

Check for problems outside first when doing a full-scale assessment of what needs to be fixed. Ask kids and partners if they’ve seen any cracks, leaks, holes or anything of the kind that you can fix now before you spend a miserable winter with buckets to catch the water or worse, mould. If the paint is chipping on the outside, this would be the best time to apply a quick coat.

While you’re outside prepare the gutters and roof. Gutters can become clogged with leaves and debris, resulting in water not draining properly. This water can then freeze and expand, causing expansive damage. Clean out your gutters, ensure downspouts are not discharging water on your home’s foundation, and make certain your roof isn’t missing any shingles. While you’re checking for blockage peep into the fireplace and your heating vents to see if everything is clear and ready for winter.

Step 2

You’ll be spending quite a healthy amount of time and money this winter trying to stay warm, and it goes without saying you don’t want to be doing this in vain when you find all the heat dissipating through a poorly insulated home. Seal all cracks and holes, as the impact of cracks and holes can be equal to that of an open window, so caulk/seal all leaks.

Expanding foam works great for sealing around cracks and pipes, while gaps around windows and doors can be filled with adhesive foam weather stripping. These will be your regular winter DIY rituals and they won’t take much of you.

Step 3

Winter is the great cover-up season in all respects, and your windows, vents and doors are no exception. Applying a clear insulating film to windows will lock in heat and covering or closing doors to rooms that get little use will spare you that chilly draft.

Step 4

Your final winter DIY task will be to service your heating system by turning off the unit’s power and replacing its disposable filter or cleaning its permanent filter according to the manufacturer’s recommendations. While you’re at it give it a brush and vacuum the blower blades. If you see potential leaks, as you are likely to, around air ducts, seal them by wrapping them with duct tape. If you are not familiar with doing this type of work, call a professional.

Now that you home is fully winter-proof, keep warm, find your cosy corner and snuggle up.

Tags: winter