Winterizing your home keeps the cold weather out and the warmth inside to keep you comfortable through the snowy months.
Heating your home when it's cold outside can cost a lot of money, even with a well-insulated house. This expense increases if you have various heat leaks in your home. Thankfully, you can quickly do some easy fixes now to help you save money and winterize your home.
Here are some to-do list items to make your home winter-ready without spending more than a few dollars:
1. Check Your Doors
To avoid heat from leaking around your door's perimeter, ensure it has a tight seal. If not, purchase a doorway seal strip/kit to tighten the seal around your door and lock in the valuable heat.
2. Check Your Windows
Gaps or leaks around the perimeters of windows are a notorious heat leak. Examine all of your windows for gaps or cracks; if you find them, fill them with putty or caulking to seal in the heat. You can also use weather-sealing tape, which is an extremely cost-effective solution.
3. Insulate Your Hot Water Heater
Your hot water heater has to work hard all winter, so don't make its job more challenging by wasting the heat it generates. Adequately insulate your hot water heater by wrapping it in a blanket or other material that will help to keep the heat in.
4. Patch Exterior Holes
Do you have any leaks, gaps, or holes on the outside of your home? Seal them up ASAP to keep the heat inside.
5. Change the Temperature
An instant fix for saving money in the winter is to lower the temperature setting on your thermostat. You might need to wear more clothes and use more blankets, but think of the money you could save due to high energy costs.
6. Replace Your Filters
Changing the filters in your central air conditioning and heating system can help with its efficiency and longevity.
7. Insulate Bare Walls
Bare walls in your basement or attic can cause heat loss. You can easily put up your own insulation to seal in the heat—if you take this approach, wear gloves and a mask to protect yourself.
8. Clean Your Gutters
When it's cold enough for ice to form, it can clog your gutters if they are full of leaves and debris. Clean gutters prevent ice dams and icicles.
9. Change the Direction of Your Ceiling Fan
Hot air rises. When a ceiling fan rotates clockwise, it pushes hot air along the ceiling to the floor (bringing the warmth back down to you).
10. Have You Winterized Your Home?
Winterizing your home doesn't have to be complicated or expensive. It basically boils down to finding uninsulated or leaky areas on walls, doors, or windows with gaps, cracks, or holes and sealing them up—and a few other little tricks to keep you warm without cranking up the heat.
It may take a little time, but the investment will be worth it. What are your tips for making your home winter-ready?