Winter is coming. Depending on your location, the next couple months means cold temperatures and snow accumulation.
It's critical when owning a home that before winter hits you complete certain tasks to ensure your home is properly winterized. Things such as inspecting your roof, winterizing your lawn tools, and checking for drafts inside are just a few of the most important things to do.
What other tasks should you be completing before winter to properly winterize your home? Check out this guide on how to winterize your home over on Rochester's Real Estate Blog at http://www.rochesterrealestateblog.com/how-to-winterize-your-home/
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Helpful Tips For Winterizing A Home
1. How To Winterize Your Home
rochesterrealestateblog.com/how-to-winterize-your-home/
Tips For Properly Preparing Your Home For Winter
How To Winterize Your Home – Tips On Winterizing A Home
Winter is coming. While this may not be something you’re excited for, it is the reality. Many homeowners fail to
realize the importance of properly winterizing their home.
A homeowner who fails to properly winterize their home puts themselves and their home in danger of a variety of
consequences. Depending on where your home is located, you may experience a very mild winter or you may
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2. experience a very harsh and cold winter.
If you live in an area that experiences colder temperatures and/or snow accumulation, it’s critical you know what
steps to take to winterize your home.
Below is a guide on how to properly winterize your home, both the exterior and interior of your home. By following
the steps below, you greatly increase the chances that you have any problems this coming winter.
How To Winterize The Exterior Of Your Home
It’s vital to properly winterize the exterior of your home. There are a variety of tasks that you should complete, prior
to winter, to make sure you don’t have any problems during the winter months. Below are some of the most common
exterior tasks to complete before the winter.
Inspect Your Roof
It’s very important before winter hits, that you inspect your roof. A proper roof inspection can provide “peace of mind”
and also can help eliminate the chance of a costly repair.
The first decision that you need to make when it comes to a roof inspection is whether you will perform the
inspection or you will hire a professional roofing contractor. Many homeowners don’t like even the idea of climbing a
latter to get on their roof while others don’t mind at all.
If you decide to inspect your roof yourself there are certain things you should be on the look out for. It’s important
you make sure that all the shingles are intact and securely attached. During the cold winter months, it’s not
uncommon to experience high winds, which can ultimately lead to loose shingles being blown off your roof.
Additionally, if you decide to inspect your own roof, be on the lookout for holes or cracks in any of the flashing around
your roof vents. Holes or cracks in roof flashing can lead to water penetration inside your home, so it’s important to
make sure the flashing is solid and intact on your roof.
Roof issues are one of the most common home inspection findings in real estate and also can be one of the most
expensive issues to fix, especially if not addressed immediately. Ensuring that your roof is in good condition is one
of the most important steps to successfully winterize your home.
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3. Guide To Winterizing The Exterior Of A Home
Prevent Ice Dams
Ice dams can create a very long list of problems for a homeowner. This list includes damaging gutters, damage to
the walls and ceilings, and even mold. It’s extremely important when winterizing your home that you know how to
prevent ice dams.
An ice dam is typically created after a heavy snowfall when the warmth from the attic/inside of the home raises the
roof temperature above freezing, which melts the snow closest to the roof surface. Water from this melted snow
then travels down the roof where it will freeze once it reaches a point beyond the roofs “warm point,” which is
generally the last section of the roof, closest to the gutters.
The primary reason for ice dams is poor ventilation. When winterizing your home, be sure to check your attics
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4. ventilation as well as the insulation. The attic of a home, if properly vented and insulated should remain cold during
the winter months.
If the attic in your home seems “warm” during the winter months, you need to address the situation before it
becomes a problem. One of the most popular and inexpensive ice damming prevention tips is using a roof rake
during the winter to remove the snow from the roof.
Clean Your Gutters
Before the winter hits, it’s important to clean your gutters. Clogged gutters are one of the most common culprits of
water damage in a home. To properly winterize your home, it’s important to make sure your gutters are clear of
leaves and debris from trees, such as small sticks. Depending on how many trees are in the vicinity of your home,
it’s possible you may need to clean your gutters more than the recommended once a year.
One of the best methods to clean your gutters is to use a small plastic shovel to scoop the leaves and debris out of
the gutters. Once you’ve cleaned the majority of leaves and debris from your gutters, use a garden hose to flush out
any remaining leaves and debris. Be sure that the water your using to flush any remaining leaves and debris is
draining properly.
If you decide that you don’t want to clean your own gutters, there should be several companies in your local area that
perform gutter cleaning. The cost to clean your homes gutters generally will range between $75-$200, depending
on the amount of gutters your home has and the height of your roof line.
Clean Your Chimney (If Applicable)
Another task to complete when you winterize your home is making sure your chimney is inspected and cleaned. A
chimney is used most frequently during the cold winter months and it’s important to keep your home and your family
safe, so be sure that it’s safe to use.
While it’s possible you can inspect and clean your own chimney, it’s suggested that you hire a professional. The
reason it’s suggested to hire a professional is the fact that they have a trained eye to look for deficiencies in your
chimney, which most homeowners do not have.
If you’re planning on selling your home in the near future, another great reason to hire a professional to clean your
chimney is because many buyers will make their purchase offer contingent on a satisfactory chimney inspection.
Winterize Your Central Air Conditioner
If your home is equipped with a central air conditioning unit, it’s important you properly winterize it. Central air
conditioning is a great feature to have in a home but also can be fairly expensive to repair in the event it’s not
properly winterized.
The first step to properly winterizing your central air conditioning is to make sure all debris is cleared away from the
unit. This includes all sticks, leaves, and bushes.
Next it’s suggested that you cover the unit with a piece of wood that is large enough to cover the top of the unit. This
is to help eliminate the chance that debris, leaves, or even worse, icicles fall inside the unit which can create
damage.
Finally, if your central air conditioning unit has an electric box next to it, you should ensure it is switched to the off
position. Many people believe you should cover the entire unit, which is not necessary and actually is not
suggested. Covering the entire unit can trap moisture inside which can lead to problems with the unit.
Once these three simple steps are completed, you’ve successfully winterized your central air conditioning unit.
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5. Don’t Forget To Put Away Outdoor Furniture & Winterize Lawn Tools – See The Complete Guide On
How To Winterize Your Home Inside
Winterize Your Lawn Tools
Since you won’t be needing your lawn tools during the winter, such as a mower or weed trimmer, it’s suggested that
you properly winterize and store your lawn tools. If you happen to have electric powered lawn tools, your task will be
pretty easy, since all you need to ensure is that your tools are kept in a dry area.
If your lawn tools are gas powered, to properly winterize them, you should add some fuel stabilizer to your tools.
Similar to the electric tools, you want to make sure your gas powered tools are stored in a dry area. This will help
increase the chances that your tools will start up with ease in the spring.
Put Away Lawn & Patio Furniture
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6. Lawn and patio furniture is designed to be pretty durable. This doesn’t mean that all of your lawn and patio furniture
should remain outside all winter long and endure the elements of winter.
As you winterize your home, it’s important you put away lawn and patio furniture that should absolutely not remain
outside. Furniture that is made out of aluminum can generally remain outside. Furniture that is made out of
softwoods such as pine or cedar need to be stored in a dry area to prevent damage.
This is also a great time to clean and wash your lawn and patio furniture so you don’t have to waste your time once
the spring weather arrives. Before you attempt to clean and wash your lawn and patio furniture, make sure you have
a general idea on how to clean your outdoor furniture, since using the wrong cleaner can damage your furniture.
Take Care Of Your Landscaping
A harsh winter can cause a number of issues for your landscaping. Another task to perform when you winterize the
exterior of your home is to properly take care of your landscaping.
One of the first decisions you should make is whether you will have your lawn treated prior to the winter. There are
many products available at your local hardware store for winterizing your lawn that can make a big difference on how
your lawn looks after a long, cold winter.
It’s also important to winterize your shrubs and bushes. It’s suggested to prune your shrubs and bushes in the late
fall or early winter season. Properly pruning your shrubs and bushes will increase the amount of oxygen they
receive which will ultimately lead to a healthier growth come spring time.
Landscaping that is properly winterized will look considerably better than one that is not. Since great landscaping is
a feature that many home buyers are looking for when purchasing a home, it’s important to take care of your
landscaping when winterizing your home.
How To Winterize The Interior Of Your Home
Many homeowners don’t realize some of the interior tasks that should be done prior to the winter season. A
homeowner who neglects the interior of their home when winterizing is potentially costing themselves lots of hard
earned dollars. Below are some of the most important tasks to complete when you winterize the interior of your
home.
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7. How To Winterize The Interior Of Your Home 101 – Interior Tasks To Complete Before Winter
Check For Drafts
One of the most frequently asked questions from potential home buyers relates to a homes utility bills. Did you
realize that your homes utility bills maybe much higher than they should be during the winter months because of
drafts?
One of the most important tasks to complete when winterizing the interior of your home is to check for drafts. The
most obvious places to check for drafts inside your home are the windows and doors. There are other areas in your
home though that maybe producing drafts that could be costing you hundreds of extra dollars in utility bills. In
addition to your windows and doors, be sure to check your homes knee walls, plumbing vents, furnace ducts, and
attic openings for drafts.
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8. The most common solution to fix a draft in your home is by installing weatherstripping. There are many different
types of weatherstripping that can be used to prevent drafts in your home. Properly installing weatherstripping in
your home is a great way to reduce drafts in your home during the winter months and a step in the right direction to
saving you money on your utility bills.
Clean & Check Alarms & Detectors
Since during the winter months your home will remain closed up, it’s important that your homes smoke alarms and
carbon monoxide detectors are clean and working properly.
Making sure the covers of your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors are clean is important to ensure they
are functioning properly. A smoke alarm that has built up dust may not function like it should. Cleaning the covers
can be simply done by using a wet rag or paper towel and wiping down the covers.
It’s also critical that your homes smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors are working properly. Most alarms
and detectors come with a “test” feature that allows you to make sure they are functioning properly. It’s suggested
that you replace the batteries on your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors prior to the winter season
unless they are hard wired and don’t require batteries.
Tune-up Your Homes Heating System
Another major component of a home is the heating system. The importance of a properly working heating system
during the winter months cannot be under estimated. When meeting with homeowners who are thinking of selling
their home, I recommend they have their heating system cleaned and inspected as one of the things to do before
listing their home for sale since it is such an important component of a home.
As you winterize your home, it’s critical you have your heating system tuned up by a professional. The cost to have
a heating system cleaned and inspected is normally around $100.00, which is a minimal expense when
compared to the importance of having a functioning heating system during the cold winter months.
It’s suggested that you change the filter on your heating system frequently. To save a few dollars, buying your own
filters and replacing it on your heating system is fairly easy. Refer to the manual for your heating system which
generally will have step by step directions to replacing a filter.
Test Your Thermostat
Last winter while selling a vacant home in Rochester, NY, the homes thermostat wasn’t working properly which led
to the pipes freezing because there was no heat in the home. As you can imagine, the homeowner was less than
thrilled.
A very important step as you winterize your home is to make sure your thermostat is working properly. Before
testing your thermostat, make sure you replace the battery, if applicable.
There are many thermostats available now as well that are not battery operated, which is preferred. Many of the
non-battery powered thermostats can actually be monitored while away from your home.
One of the most popular thermostats is the Nest, which is able to be controlled via a smart phone. This can come in
handy if you’re traveling on a vacation during the winter months or happen to be selling a home from long distance.
Reverse Ceiling Fans
Many homeowners don’t realize their ceiling fans are able to be set in different directions. Most ceiling fans have a
setting for the warmer months and the colder months.
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