Monthly Archives: January 2018

Easy Steps for Winterizing Your Home

House cleaning

Sometimes the chill of winter can sneak up on us, particularly with unpredictable weather patterns. You may first notice it when you are sitting next to a window or door and you can feel a cold draft coming through. Or perhaps with the first heavy snowfall, your roof may spring a leak. Whether you have experienced any of these things or not, some quick and easy steps will help you winterize your home to prevent future problems from occurring during the cold winter months.

Inspect All Openings  For the typical homeowner, addressing the drafts coming in through doors and windows will be a major improvement in energy bills. Weather strip and caulk all openings to prevent drafts.

Check Your Heating System – It is very important to change air filters at least annually and check the ductwork in your basement or attic for any gaps. You can use metal-foil tape to seal any gaps so that heat does not escape.

Caulk Trim and Baseboards – Check to see if any caulk on your trim and baseboards is old or worn away. This can cause drafts to seep through the walls and floors of your home.

Ready the Roof – Hiring a roofer to caulk the roof or doing it yourself will prevent ice damming which can form on your roof after snow melts and there is insufficient drainage. This can cause serious damage to your roof and possibly leaks inside your home.

Check the Fireplace  You might be amazed to know that most people forget to close the flue in their fireplace. It will be cold in the house and people won’t know why until they go to build a fire and discover an open flue. Checking to see if the fireplace doors are energy-efficient will also help with heating the house and energy costs.

These few steps will help with heating your home more efficiently and preventing costly repairs later on down the road. For more winterizing tips or to schedule a cleaning please call us today. 301-674-9564