Winterizing Your Home!
The winter months are upon us, and if you’re not prepared, this can mean big problems for your home. What do you need to do to properly winterize your home? Let’s take a look at some key steps to take:
- Insulate your outside faucets. If you have a water hose hooked to your outside faucet, unscrew it until warmer months roll back around. Otherwise, standing water and ice-cold air trapped inside the hose have a direct path into your indoor plumbing. Styrofoam faucet covers can be purchased at just about any local hardware store for a little of nothing and will offer excellent protection against the outside elements.
- Insulate your water heater lines. Water heaters are typically kept in the coldest parts of the home (attics, garages, etc.). Be sure to inspect the water lines running to the water heater. Make sure they are adequately insulated with foam pipe covers.
- Change your air filter regularly. This should be a year round chore anyways. Most air filters should be changed every 30-60 days. Dust can accumulate in your system throughout the year. When you turn the heat on for the first time, all of that dust can be stirred up. This can lead to dirty filters that restrict airflow, and therefore, work against you in maintaining a comfortable temperature.
- Reverse your fans. If you have reversible ceiling fans, flip the switch. Warm air rises. Reversing your ceiling fans will create a circulation in the room that will keep all of the heat from settling up high.
- Seal openings around your doors. This can mean replacing worn weather-stripping with new, installing larger door sweeps to the base of your door, or applying foam insulators along your jambs. Preventing cold drafts at the entry points of your home is key to keeping your interior temperature where it needs to be.
Follow these steps and keep your home safe from the outside elements this winter. Don’t forget to check us out online at www.gustafsonproperties.com and contact us if your ready to build your new home! We look forward to hearing from you!
