Homeowner Tasks to Prepare for Winter
As the temperatures drop and the sun leaves us sooner in the day - we need to make sure our home is ready for the Winter Season. Here are some tips we have found to really prepare us for the chilly time of year!
Install weather stripping. Doors and windows are the weakest points in your home for heat loss. If you haven’t done it already, now is a great time to install door sweeps on the bottom of outside-leading doors and put weather stripping in sashes and cracks around doors (e.g., along the jamb) to provide tighter seals.
Caulk around windows. As a home ages, flexing and contracting materials during various hot and cold periods create gaps around windows. Fill in any openings that have developed to prevent heat escaping.
Chimney balloon. What the what? That’s what we said when we first heard about a chimney balloon. This very steampunk-sounding device can’t be real, can it? Yes! It’s real and no it doesn’t lead to Diagon Alley or Platform Nine and Three-Quarters. Harry Potter references aside, a chimney balloon is a device for homeowners who aren’t using their fireplace and therefore the chimney. This handy object is meant to seal off the drafty chimney and keep your house cozy and hygge, rather than drafty and frigid. So if you’re not burning wood or coal to stay warm, try one out.
Flush sediment in water heater. This one doesn’t necessarily have a major impact on energy loss, but it can affect the efficiency of your water heater as well as clog the drain valve. Additionally, sediment can displace water as it collects at the bottom of a water heater. Prevent this becoming a problem and causing further untimely issues by taking a moment to flush it out.
Change air filters. Like with the water heater, prevention is a good way to keep those expensive systems in top condition. You can encourage healthy air circulating throughout your home by changing the air filters so that air can easily pass through them. We’ve heard horror stories about HVAC systems being ruined by extremely clogged air filters. But that won’t be you, because you’re here, getting a handle on this homeownership business.
Source: https://academymortgage.com/homebuyer-education/first-time-homebuyer/9-homeowner-tasks-to-prepare-for-winter