4 Easy Ways To Winterize Your Home

It’s no secret that winter can do a lot of damage to everything it touches—just look at the potholes that form in roads thanks to the constant cycle of freezing and thawing. While potholes aren’t an issue inside homes, winter can still cause a lot of damage to them. Before winter arrives or before you put a home up for a fast sale, homeowners can take steps to winterize their homes so they’re better prepared for the cold weather. Here are some easy ways homeowners can help protect their homes during the harsh winter months.

1.  Insulate Pipes to Prevent Cracking

In extremely cold temperatures, it’s possible for even metal pipes to break, and that can spell disaster for a home. To help prevent pipes from breaking in the cold weather, homeowners can insulate them to give them a layer of protection. Hardware stores sell different products to do this job including insulation sleeves and wrapping. No matter what variety of insulation the homeowner chooses, they need to make sure that there aren’t any cracks between each piece of insulation. If there are, it means cold air will have access to the pipe, and the rest of the insulation will be less effective.

2. Run Ceiling Fans in Reverse

Fans keep people cool in the summer, but they can also keep them warm in the winter. This is because ceiling fans have a switch located on the base that will switch the direction that the blades turn in, so instead of blowing air down, they instead suck the cool air up and force warm air down, thus warming the room. Not only is this a handy tip to keep in mind to stay a bit warmer during the winter, but running fans in reverse can also help save up to 10% on heating bills, which can be a nice savings in the winter months.

3. Block Drafts With Door Snakes

Doors are notorious for allowing cold drafts to get into a home. While weather stripping can be added to help keep the cold out, rubber can rot, warp, and crack. One easy way to keep drafts out is by using a door snake or draft guard. Door snakes are simply a long tube of fabric that is weighted down and placed in front of a door to prevent cold air from sneaking in underneath it. They can be purchased at most hardware stores, but for crafty homeowners, they’re also easy to make with some leftover fabric , batting, and rice. Not only can door snakes be used on doors, but they can also be placed on windowsills to keep

4. Change the Furnace Filter

Furnaces have the tough job of keeping a home warm throughout the winter, and in order to help it keep running as smoothly as possible, homeowners need to change the filter regularly. Filters typically need to be changed every 2-3 months, and forgetting to do so will keep the furnace from running as well as it should and can possibly even cause breakdowns. Furnace filters are available at nearly every hardware store and can even be purchased in packs that contain multiples so homeowners can stock up and not have to worry about having to make a trip to the hardware store every time the filter needs to be replaced.

Winterizing a Westmount new home isn’t difficult when homeowners know what to do. Just following these easy steps, homeowners can help protect their home through the long and cold winter.