How To Winterize Your Home

Miller Construction & Design January 3, 2020 Home Renovations

Preparing your home for the winter season is essential in ensuring that the harsh conditions don’t destroy your home.

You’ll need to prepare your pipes, your roofing, and your windows for potentially damaging weather elements, and on the interior, you’ll need to take care of your thermostat, check your insulation and check that the filters in your furnace are functioning well.

Let’s look at a few easy steps to winterize your home.

Check Your Insulation

Insulation provides an additional barrier against the cold and harsh weather elements.

Insulate your windows. If you’re not sure how to go about this, get in touch with a home improvement company like Miller, who will expertly insulate accessible windows. Doors should be insulated too, to prevent cold drafts passing through your home.

If you’re currently renovating your home and it won’t be completed before winter, your service provider should seal off any unfinished areas that may cause loss of heat in your home.

Insulating your attic will save on energy costs and prevent heat loss. It also acts as a barrier for ice dams forming and causing damage to your roof. The pipes in your attic or basement can also do with some insulation as the chances of them freezing is quite high. A heating tape can be used for this but it is best to contact a professional residential construction company for this as it will need to be in line with regulations.

Assess Your Thermostat

Programmable thermostats allow you to control the temperature of the house, effortlessly.

You can set your thermostat up to provide comfortable heating while your family is at home, and while you’re away or sleeping, you can have it lower. You don’t need to come home to a cold house and you save on power bills at the end of a season. Creating an energy-efficient home is an investment you won’t regret.

If you have a regular thermostat, be sure to inspect that it is function optimally before you run into any emergencies on a cold night. Check that it is not located too close to another heat source as it will not function as efficiently. Check that it is flat against the backing plate and that all connections are functioning properly.

Replace Your Furnace Filter

Filters that don’t appear to be “that dirty” still catch dust and particles and should be replaced every season or every three months.

Checking of your filters should occur during regular home maintenance nonetheless. Clean HVAC filters ensure you have good quality air pumping through your home, that your system is running at its peak and you don’t run up a high electricity bill while your furnace suffocates from dust and dirt.

Take Care Of Your Pipes

During the winter season, you will need to make provision for your indoor pipes, as well as your outdoor pipes.

You’ll need to turn off the water supply to all outdoor spigots by the shut-off valve. Once you have done this, you’ll need to open the faucet to make sure that any water still in the pipes drains out as it may freeze and damage your pipes.

Remove the hose pipes from faucets and store them away. You can also purchase bibb covers that can be placed over the spigot to prevent freezing.

For extra protection, cover your pipes with heat tape or heat cables.

Protecting your indoor pipes requires a regular flow of water moving through the pipes on very cold nights. This will prevent the pipe from freezing. Opening the faucet will also relieve any pressure build-up which prevents your pipe from bursting. This isn’t required all winter long, but specifically on extremely cold nights.

Have your sump pump in your basement checked by a plumbing professional prior to the winter season. Although this feature of your home should receive regular maintenance, it’s wise to include it in your winterizing checks.

You don’t need to wait for winter to upgrade your thermostat, save on electricity bills or conduct regular home maintenance. Small holes and cracks present in your house risk the integrity of your home, but it will also allow for heat to escape during the colder months.

Custom Home Builds In Aspen, Colorado

If you’re considering having parts of your home repaired prior to winter, get in contact with Miller Construction & Design. We focus on residential renovations, restoration, and design-builds. We strive for the best workmanship, and with over 40 years’ experience, we know we can offer you what you need to efficiently prepare your home for winter.