Last updated: Friday, November 9, 2007 | 12 Views
“A house is a home when it shelters the body and comforts the soul.”
- Phillip Moffitt
So you’ve pulled your sweaters out of mothballs and found your mittens at the bottom of the coat closet. But what about your house — is it well-adapted for the cold months ahead?
As energy prices climb worldwide, getting your home prepared for the upcoming winter season is a smart way to save money, with the added benefit of keeping your home nice and warm during the colder half of the year. Sometimes, just a few simple hours of maintenance can save you countless hours, dollars and headaches later on.
You’ll be a lot less comfortable in the coming months if you haven’t girded your home for Old Man Winter. So, with a little help from Google, I’ve boiled down your autumn to-do list to ten easy tips:
1. Insulate yourself.
Here’s a great advice that does cost a little money (but boy, you do get the money back quick): Adding insulation to the existing insulation in the attic. Regardless of the climate conditions you live in, you need a minimum of twelve inches of insulation in your attic.
Don’t clutter your brain with measuring tape or R-values, though. Instead refer to the general rule of thumb on whether you need to add insulation: If you go into the attic and you can see the ceiling joists you know you don’t have enough, because a ceiling joist is at most 10-11 inches. And if you’re layering insulation atop other insulation, don’t use the kind that has “kraft face” finish (like a paper backing). It acts as a vapor barrier, and therefore can cause moisture problems in the insulation.
2. Wrap those pipes.
A burst pipe caused by a winter freeze is a nightmare. Before Jack Frost sets his grip, ensure that the water to your hose bibs is shut off inside your house (via a turnoff valve), and that the lines are drained. In climes where freezing nights aren’t commonplace, you can install Styrofoam cups with a screw attachment to help insulate spigots.
Next, check for other pipes that are not insulated, or that pass through unheated spaces — pipes that run through crawlspaces, basements or garages. Wrap them with pre-molded foam rubber sleeves or fiberglass insulation, purchasable at hardware stores. If you’re really worried about a pipe freezing, you can first wrap it with heating tape, which is basically an electrical cord that emits heat.
3. Clean those gutters.
Once the leaves fall, remove them and other debris from your home’s gutters — by hand, by scraper or spatula, and eventually by a good hose rinse — so that winter’s rain and melting snow can drain. Clogged drains can form ice dams, in which water backs up, freezes and causes water to seep into the house.
As you’re hosing out your gutters, look for leaks and misaligned pipes. Also, make sure the downspouts are carrying water away from the house’s foundation, where it could cause flooding or other water damage. The rule of thumb is that water should be at least ten feet away from the house.
4. Block those leaks.
One of the best ways to winterize your home is to simply block obvious leaks around your house, both inside and out. According to a EarthWorks Group research, the average American home has leaks that amount to a nine-square-foot hole in the wall.
Firstly, find the leaks: On a breezy day, walk around inside holding a lit incense stick to the most common drafty areas: electrical outlets, recessed lighting, window and door frames. Then, buy door sweeps to close spaces under exterior doors, and caulk or apply tacky rope caulk to those drafty spots. Outlet gaskets can easily be installed in electrical outlets that share a home’s outer walls, where cold air often enters.
Secondly, go outside and seal leaks with a weather-resistant caulk. For brick areas, use masonry sealer, which will better stand up to freezing and thawing. Even if it’s a small crack, it’s worth sealing up. It also discourages any insects from entering your home.
5. Check the furnace.
Firstly, turn your furnace on now, to make sure it’s even working, before the coldest weather descends. A strong, odd, short-lasting smell is natural when firing up the furnace in the autumn; simply open windows to dissipate it. But if the smell lasts a long time, shut down the furnace and call a professional.
It’s a great idea to have furnaces cleaned and tuned annually. Costs will often run about $100-$150. An inspector should do the following, among other things:
Make sure that the thermostat and pilot light are working properly. Make sure that the fuel pipe entering your furnace doesn’t have a leak. Check the heat exchanger for cracks — a crack can send carbon monoxide into the home. Change the filter. During the winter you should change the furnace filters regularly (maybe monthly). A dirty filter impedes air flow, reduces efficiency and could even cause a fire in an extreme case. Toss out the dirty fiberglass filters; reusable electrostatic or electronic filters can be washed.
6. Get your ducts in a row.
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, a house with central heating can lose up to 60 percent of its heated air before that air reaches the vents if ductwork is not well-connected and insulated, or if it must traverse through unheated spaces. That’s a huge amount of wasted money, not to mention a chilly house.
Ducts aren’t always easy to see, but you can generally find them exposed in the basement, the attic, and crawlspaces. Repair places where pipes are pinched, which impedes flow of heated air to the house, and fix gaps with a metal-backed tape. Ducts additionally should be vacuumed once every few years, to clean out the abundant dust, animal hair and other gunk that can gather in them and cause respiratory problems.
7. Reverse that fan.
Reversing your ceiling fan is a small thing that people don’t usually think of. By flipping its direction from the summer operation, the fan will push warm air downward and force it to recirculate, keeping you more comfortable. Here’s how you know the fan is ready for winter: As you look up, the blades should be turning clockwise.
8. Face your windows.
Now, of course, is the time to take down the window screens and put up storm windows, which provide an extra layer of protection and warmth for the home. Storm windows are surprisingly helpful if you have old, single-pane glass windows. But if you don’t have storm windows, and your windows are leaky or drafty, they need to be updated to a more efficient window.
Obviously, windows are pricey. Budget to replace them a few at a time, and in the meantime, buy a window insulator kit. Basically, the kit is plastic sheeting that’s affixed to a window’s interior with double-stick tape. A hair dryer is then used to shrink-wrap the sheeting onto the window — it can be removed in the spring. It’s temporary and it’s not pretty, but it’s inexpensive and it’s extremely effective.
9. Don’t forget the chimney.
As you might have guessed, spring is the perfect time to think about your chimney — chimney sweeps are going crazy right now. That said, don’t put off your chimney needs before using your fireplace. A common myth is that a chimney needs to be swept every year. Not true. But a chimney should at least be inspected before use each year. People frequently find tennis balls and ducks in chimneys.
Another tip to consider: Buy a protective cap for your chimney, with a screen. It’s perhaps the single easiest protection because it keeps out foreign objects (birds, tennis balls) as well as rain that can mix with the ash and eat away at the fireplace’s walls. And make sure you’re buying based on durability, not appearance.
10. Check those alarms.
This is a great time to check the operation — and change the batteries — on your home’s smoke detectors. As recommended by fire officials, detectors should be replaced every ten years. Test them — older ones in particular — with a small bit of actual smoke, and not just by pressing the “test” button. Check to see that your fire extinguisher is still where it should be, and still works. Also, invest in a carbon-monoxide detector; every home should have at least one.
House maintenance is continually an ongoing project, so make sure you stay on top of it every year.
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