6 Ways to Winterize Your Home

Before these cold winds really begin, take a weekend to winterize your home. In addition to making your home more energy efficient, winterizing your home will also help prevent damage to your home from the snow and ice.

1. Protect your pipes

Depending on where you live, you will need to protect your pipes from freezing and bursting in the winter! Minimize the risk to your plumbing by picking up some pre-slit pipe foam at your local hardware store. Cut the foam to the size of your pipe and fasten in place with duct tape.

2. Patch up any air leaks

The doors and windows in your home can allow air leaks even when they are closed. Weatherstripping your doors and windows can help seal in air leaks, while keeping energy costs down.

3. Change your furnace filters

Make sure you are regularly changing your furnace filters throughout the season. A dirty filter will restrict airflow and increase energy demand around your home. You may consider replacing a disposable filter with a reusable or electronic one.

4.  Update your thermostat

Heating and cooling your home can get expensive, but a programmable thermostat can help you control your energy costs. Programmable thermostats allow you to customize the heating and cooling of your home to fit your needs.

5. Check your insulation

An attic or crawl space will play a large role in regulating the temperature of your home so you will want to make sure these spaces have efficient insulation. Having efficient insulation will make your home warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer.

6.  Protect your plants

You will need to bring in your plants inside before the cold front hits. Typically, you should bring your plants in before temperatures dip below 45 degrees.

Sources: Lowes