How to Winterize Your Home

In the wintertime months, freezing rain and snow could cause harm to many homes in the united states. With the high rise in expense for heating this season, many homes could save a huge selection of dollars simply by preparing their homes for the harsh weather by winterizing, or prepping your home for winter.

How could you protect your home for the winter months? Winterizing your home is much simpler than most people think.

Start Winterizing Your Home by Sealing Leaks

One of the best ways to begin to winterize your home is to actually check the exterior of your house for cracks. A crack along the outside of your home lets heat out, making it more difficult to keep your house warm. Even houses with siding around the outside could have cracks along the fireplace, or even under the eaves. Windows and doors are the most popular areas for cracks.

Once you've located the problem areas, you can fill the cracks with a caulking compound. Apply a generous amount of caulking directly into the cracks and smooth the caulking out with your finger or a tool. Make sure to seal the crack completely as you smooth out the caulking.

Winterizing your Home by Protecting your Pipes

Pipes that go unprotected can freeze and burst with time. Broken pipes can cost thousands of dollars to replace. Avoid unnecessary costs by caring for your pipes properly in cold weather.

To start, identify any water hoses that could be hooked up. These hoses that are filled with water should be removed and emptied and put away during the freezing weather.

Next, outside faucets or piping can be protected from cold weather with heat tape. You can buy heat tape from any local hardware store. Wrap the tape around exposed outdoor pipes and this should be enough to keep your faucets from freezing. For those who have an outdoor pump system, even if it's in a shed, it could still freeze up and cause problems if the weather is well below freezing. Use a heat lamp in the late evening hours to prevent freezing.

Winterizing Your Home with Insulation

Finally, if your house is lacking proper insulation, you could save hundreds of dollars on heating costs by getting it installed. Contact a professional installer and get an estimate for putting in insulation or get an evaluation if you don't know if you want insulation.

Even if your home does have insulation, have it checked for any damage caused by leaks.

Insulation is cheap to have installed. That can be done it yourself and spend less by visiting your neighborhood hardware store and obtaining the supplies.

Don't forget to check on the attic space for proper insulation. Many homebuilders may skip putting insulation in the roof to save lots of on building costs, but this type of additional insulation significantly reduces heat releasing through the attic.

These easy steps tend to be overlooked, but could save thousands on heating costs and repairs to your house. Many of these actions you can take yourself. Speak to your local hardware store for more ideas on how best to winterize your house.