14 Ways to Get Your Home Ready for Winter

September 26, 2014 | Filed under: Homeowner Tips,Newsletter Articles,Uncategorized

With winter on the horizon, many of us are starting to prepare our wardrobes, lives, and homes for cooler temperatures and the weather changes that come with them. This special issue of our e-newsletter brings you 14 ways to ensure that your home weathers the winter as trouble-free and as efficiently as possible.

14 Ways to Get Your Home Ready for Winter

  1. Have your furnace or other heating system checked out now. Making sure that it’s in good shape before the season will prevent you from being on the HVAC service company’s waiting list on the coldest day of the winter.
  2. In some cases, especially if it has a humidifier, your furnace ductwork may have separate settings for “winter” and “summer”. Be sure to change it to winter before spring arrives!
  3. Switch the direction of your ceiling fans to run clockwise. This will help push the hot air that rises to your ceilings back down where you want it, keeping you toasty warm.
  4. Remember those ice dams on your roof last winter? Ice dams are caused by air leaks from your living space into your attic and roof assembly. Seal off infiltration points, add insulation, and increase ventilation so that you’re not staring out your windows through bars of icicles this year. Brrr.
  5. Walk around your home’s exterior and examine the sealant around all windows and doors. If cracked or missing, replace it with a quality silicone or rubber sealant to help prevent drafts and heat loss.
  6. Clean the leaves out of your gutters and window wells. Keeping your gutters running free is key to avoiding winter ice troubles.
  7. Make sure that your downspouts (if they do not lead to underground tiles) direct water several feet away from your home’s foundation. Otherwise, when the ground is frozen, water from your roof is likely to end up in your basement or crawlspace.
  8. Make sure that hoses are disconnected from your outdoor water faucets, saving you from a very unwelcome surprise when you turn them on in the spring.
  9. If you get long periods of freezing or even sub-zero temperatures this winter, be mindful of sink pipes and drains on outside walls. Open the cupboard doors that conceal the pipes, allowing heat to circulate around them.
  10. Add fuel stabilizer to gas tanks on any gas-powered yard equipment.
  11. Wait until late winter or early spring to prune trees and shrubs. It’s healthiest for the plant to trim when they’re dormant.
  12. Make sure that any chimneys or furnace vents are clear, and in good repair. Check out that sump pump, as there tends to be more demand placed on them when the ground is frozen.
  13. Is your snow removal equipment is all ready to go? Fix it, or better yet, contract with a snow removal company and save your back!
  14. Finally, if you are concerned that your home’s roof may not make it through another winter, give us a call at 1-800-543-8938 or visit us at classicroof.com.

We Can Help You Weather the Winter

We always welcome the opportunity to hear about your roofing concerns, answer your roofing questions, and learn how we might help, along with our dealers from across the country.