Winterizing Your Home Checklist
Is your home ready to take on the cold New England weather? Subfreezing temperatures can be devastating to a house, especially your roof, gutters, and pipes. Your heating bill can also take a hit! Below are some easy DIY projects and recommended winter supplies to make sure your home is ready to take on the cold weather. In need of supplies? Visit Norfolk Hardware & Home Center, Boston’s largest family-owned hardware store since 1934.
Insulate Exposed Pipes
A frozen or burst pipe can often lead to disastrous (and expensive) damages to your home. Insulating any exposed water pipes in your garage or crawl space will greatly reduce the chance of them freezing. Foam pipe insulation comes in many different sizes and can be cut down to fit your needs.
Winterize Your Outdoor Faucets
Locate the shutoff valve for each outdoor faucet and close it. Allow any remaining water to drain from the outdoor faucets to prevent freezing. If you cannot locate a shut off valve, use faucet protectors to help insulate and prevent your outdoor faucets from freezing.
Disconnect & Drain Hoses
Just like water inside your pipes can be dangerous, water left inside a garden hose can freeze and ruin your hose. Disconnecting your hose from the faucet and draining the leftover water inside the hose and nozzle will save you from having to go out and purchase another hoes in the spring. Store your hose in the shed or garage.
Check Attic Insulation
When putting all of your holiday decorations away, take a quick look around your attic. Are any rafters exposed? If so, you should add some more insulation. There are a few different types of insulation to consider; batts & blankets being the most common. This type of insulation comes in rolls and can be cut to size to fit your space. Don’t forget to insulate the drop-down attic stairs, if you have them!
Cut Back Tree Branches
Take note of any dead tree branches on the trees around your property. Heavy snow buildup can make branches prone to break, which can spell disaster if they land on your home. Cut back any dangerous branches before the heavy snow hits.
Prevent Ice Dams
Although they look pretty, icicles can be a home’s worst enemy. When temperature fluctuates, ice can melt and pool behind hanging icicles before refreezing again. If this happens, water can get under your shingles, and eventually leak into your ceiling and walls, causing thousands of dollars in damage. Consider investing in some roof cables to prevent ice buildup in your gutters or get a roof rake to clear off the front area of your roof when the snow buildup is more than a few inches.
Install Storm Doors
Installing storm doors on all entries will prevent cold air from entering your home, as well as prevent warm air from exiting. Weather stripping garage doors & caulking around windows will also help contain the heat inside your home, saving your money on heating costs.
Purchase A Programmable Thermostat
If you haven’t already, purchase a programmable thermostat. A programmable thermostat allows you to customize the times that you heat your home, so that your system isn’t running when you don’t need it. You can set one temperature when you’re at home, and another when you’re away. While there are many “smart” thermostats on the market, there are also other, simpler units that won’t cost you a pretty petty and will save you money down the stretch.
Replace Your Furnace Filter
You should replace your furnace filter every three months, especially throughout the winter. This will not only extend the life of your furnace, it will help provide clean air to filter throughout your home. If you have air ducts, consider having those professionally cleaned every five years to prevent buildup inside the ductwork.
Stock Up On Supplies
If you haven’t already, now is the time to dig out your snowblower and snow clearing supplies. Inspect your snow blower to ensure it’s working properly. You should also stock up on ice melt, shovels, gloves, and window scrapers. You never know when the first big storm is going to hit!
Need Winter Supplies?
Stop by Norfolk Hardware & Home Center, Boston’s largest family-owned home center, and stock up on all your winter necessities. With over 40,000 sq. feet of retail space, Norfolk Hardware stocks all the winter supplies you need to get through the harsh New England winter, from snow blowers and ice melt to storm doors and furnace filters. If we don’t have it in stock, don’t worry – we will order it for you! Contact us today for all of your DIY needs or to speak with a DIY expert.