7 Tips for Getting your Home Winter-Ready
With winter approaching, many obstacles arise that you need to be prepared for. Your home is one of your largest investments, which is why it is important to take extra precautions to protect it so you can continue to enjoy it for years to come.
Winter can be unkind to your abode with the dampness and low temperatures that accompany it. If you’d like to protect your home through Canada’s harshest season, here are seven tips to keep your house in good shape.
Energy Efficient Windows
Energy consumption raises drastically in the winter months to keep you and your family warm. This takes a toll on your bills, especially if your heating system is out-of-date. There are many ways to ensure you keep all that heat in your house is producing and save some cash at the same time.
New windows that are energy efficient will save you money not just through the cold months but all year. Though replacing windows seems like a large investment, they will pay for themselves in the coming years.
When choosing the right windows for energy efficiency vinyl windows are often less expensive than other options. As well as being cost-effective from the start, they also save you money in the long run by lowering your energy costs.
Tune Your Heating System
As mentioned, above an out-of-date heating system can end up costing you a lot through the winter. When your heater isn’t outputting heat efficiently, it will take more energy to heat a space than something more modern.
If you’re worried about your current heater, you can hire a technician to inspect, clean and make sure it is in good condition and achieving its intended efficiency.
If you’d rather just upgrade your heater and save a lot of money in the long run, there are a variety of energy-efficient heating systems that will warm your house effectively.
Clean Your Gutters
When your gutters are full of leaves or other dirt it will cause water to back up against the house, which causes deterioration to your exterior while possibly causing leaks and ice dams. Be sure to check and clean your gutters and save yourself some money in the future.
If you’d like to save the stress of cleaning out your gutters there is always the option of gutter systems with hoods over the gutter.
Make Sure Your Roof is in Good Condition
When cleaning your gutters, take a long hard look at your roof. Are all the shingles intact and not missing or damaged? If they are, it may lead to leaks due to a winter storm or melting snow. If you have the skill and resources, see if there anything you could easily solve with some caulking.
For those tasks that are beyond your skillset, replacing our repairing your roof may be the most cost-effective solution in the long run.
Reduce Drafts
Drafts in your home force your heater to work harder, which in turn loses you money. Add weather-stripping around your doors and windows and look for any gaps or cracks you can caulk. Use these steps to cover up all entry points and block any potential entry points to help your heater work more efficiently.
The largest entry is your doorway so having a door that is free from any cracks or damage is the best way to keep the heat in. Storm doors are a great way to protect from bad weather and allow ventilation and can be altered for the summer months.
Protect Your Patio
All of that great patio furniture you’ve been using throughout the summer should be protected, not to mention the deck you’ve been using it on. To prevent rusting or any other cold-related damage to your patio and furniture winter, cover them to ensure you can use them again once all the snow finally melts.
For a more efficient solution, patio covers will save you the time and effort of covering all of your patio and its furniture individually - protecting it throughout the winter - as well as giving you some shade in the summer.
Install a Programmable Thermostat
A programmable thermostat saves fuel by automatically decreasing or increasing your home’s temperature while you’re not at home. By controlling both the furnace and air conditioner with energy-saving settings you can save up to $180 a year.
There are many different digital and programmable thermostats with energy-efficient heating systems that will warm your house effectively while also saving you money.
Taking the time to prepare for winter could save you both money and a probable headache in the spring as well as prevent damage and give you peace of mind through the winter months.
Keep you and your family warm this winter by following these tips. Here at Improve Canada, we have a number of vendors that can help you get your home winter-ready. Visit us today to see how our vendors can help you.
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