Winter Readiness: A Short Checklist for a Cozy Home

The winter is almost here, and we all know they can get harsh occasionally. That is why completely preparing yourself and your home for the cold winter days is of utmost importance. There are a few things to do, and a few things to check, and to help you out, here is a short but sweet checklist to help you prepare your home for the upcoming winter.

Clean Out the Gutters

During the fall, you know how many leaves there are on the ground. However, we often forget to check the roof and the gutters. Fallen leaves can clog up the gutters and all that debris can freeze and get under the shingles and damage your roof.

There is also the risk of frozen debris falling down and potentially causing injury or even damage to the side of the house. So, start with the gutters and clean them thoroughly.

Insulate Your Home

Winters can get cold, which means we will do our best to keep our homes warm and cozy. However, without insulation, heating up the house can be an impossible task as it can cool down much easier.

That is why you should consider installing spray foam insulation to keep your home protected and warm. You can consult with the local professional on how to do this properly. Also, don’t forget to insulate the roof and basement, too.

Another thing you can insulate is the pipes. During the cold winters, pipes in your home could get frozen, which can lead to some serious damage. Frozen pipes can easily burst and cause substantial water damage. So, think ahead and insulate the pipes, too.

Drain All the Sprinklers

If you have outdoor sprinklers, you should prepare them for the winter, too. You should remove any leftover water before the first freeze. This is something to remember to do because if you don’t remove any residual water, the freeze can expand and damage the sprinkler system as well as the pipes.

You can also hire an irrigation contractor to make sure everything is blown out and there is no water left in the system.

Prevent Your Door Locks from Freezing

If you live in a super-cold climate, you’ve probably encountered a few frozen door locks. And if you have experienced that, you know how hard it is to get them to work again. In order to put a stop to this and never have frozen pipes again, you can spray a bit of powdered graphite lubricant on all door locks.

However, make sure to spray in the hole where the key goes, and then insert the key and turn it in the lock. This powder will lubricate the pins inside the lock and prevent any freeze or damage. You can do this every year.

Block Any Drafts

Drafts can be the number one culprits of heat loss during the winter. To prevent that, you should inspect all the windows and doors in your home. You can light a candle on each windowsill and baseboard and see if it flickers.

If it’s still, you are fine, but if it flickers there is a draft. To eliminate the draft, you can clean the areas with a paper towel and use white or clear paintable caulking to fill in the gaps. This will seal your windows and doors and your home will be more energy-efficient and draft-free.

Clean the Fireplace

Last but not least, you should make sure your fireplace is cleaned and ready. This is especially important if you have a wood-burning fireplace as the residue can be highly flammable if not cleaned properly.

You should hire professionals to clean and service the fireplace as it can be a messy job. Also, make sure to hire a certified chimney sweep to make sure the chimney is ready for the winter, too.

Wrap-Up

The winter is coming and you and your home should be ready and cozy for the cold winter days. Hopefully, this short checklist will help you completely prepare your home and then you can relax and enjoy this magical season.

Photo by Mikhail Nilov
Photo by David Mao