Preparing Your House for Winter
Fall is an ideal time to make repairs that will make your home more energy efficient, both saving you money and keeping you warmer.
How to winterize a house: seven cost-effective tips:
1. Clean Your Gutters
Making sure that water can flow freely through your gutters will help prevent ice dams from forming later.
2. How to fix drafty windows: caulk around windows
Warm air can escape and cold air can enter your house if the area around your windows has cracks. Caulking needs to be replaced periodically, and you should check for holes that need to be patched.
3. Replace weatherstripping around doors
If you can see light around the edges of your doors, you need new weatherstripping.
4. Put up storm windows and doors
If you have older windows and doors, adding storm windows and doors can help considerably.
5. Replace less efficient windows and doors
Adding double or triple-pane windows, insulated doors and insulated garage doors will significantly improve the energy efficiency of your home.
6. Ceiling Fan Direction
Have your ceiling fans move in a clockwise direction so they push hot air along the ceiling towards the floor. If they’re going counterclockwise, they won’t be as effective.
7. Lower your water heater temperature
You can lower it from 140 degrees to 120 with no ill effect.
There are small things you can do to keep the cold out, the heat in, and your energy bill down.
Concerned about installing siding in cold weather?
Kamil, the company owner, demonstrates how B&B Siding Contractors can install year round.