How to Prepare Your Home for Winter

Every year, homeowners face seasonal battles. There’s the challenge of keeping pollen dust out of your home in the spring and cleaning up the yard following summer thunderstorms.

Winter brings with it a different set of challenges, but there are many you can prepare for. Check out these easy tips to learn how to get your home ready for the season. With a little preseason thinking ahead, all you’ll have to worry about is how much hot chocolate to enjoy in front of your crackling fireplace.

Check Your HVAC System

Your heating and air conditioning unit are meant to last at least two decades before they give out, but that only happens when they’ve been properly maintained. You may not have had issues with your AC all summer, but once your heater kicks on for the first time in months, you might experience some problems.

Before you need to heat your home, hire an HVAC professional to check your heating and air conditioning unit. They’ll quickly identify potential problems and fix them before the system breaks down. You’ll never have to worry about your home not being warm if you schedule an inspection early in the fall.

Seal Your Concrete

Concrete is one of those housing materials that seems like it’s impossible to damage. In reality, water is its biggest enemy, especially in the winter. When snow and ice melt and refreeze, they seep into microscopic cracks and widen them. That eventually leads to larger cracks that force the concrete into pieces.

It’s a smart idea to apply a concrete sealer to your driveway, sidewalk and patio if they’re made with concrete. You get a longer lifespan out of them and maintain the value of your property.

Clean Windows and Screens

After winter temperatures officially set in, it’ll be too cold to get outside for maintenance. That’s why you should clean your windows and screens in the late fall or early winter weeks. You’ll get rid of dirt and grime that builds up after months of storms, so there will be less to clean when spring comes back around.

You don’t even need to get a professional-grade cleaner. All you have to do is mix soap, water and vinegar in a spray bottle and start cleaning. Dry everything off with old newspapers to prevent scratches, and the job will be done before you know it.

Schedule a Chimney Inspection

It’s not safe to use a chimney after you haven’t used it for months. There may be buildup, debris and even animals living inside it.

Schedule a professional to come out for a chimney inspection so they can fix anything that doesn’t look right. It’s safer for you and your family to pay for a checkup rather than deal with a potential house fire.

Test Your Detectors

There are two types of detectors in most homes that check for smoke and carbon monoxide. If you don’t have a carbon monoxide detector in your home but you have a fireplace, furnace or water heater, you need to get one. Poisonous gas builds up without proper ventilation, which is more likely when your windows and doors are closed in the winter.

Review Your Maintenance Routine

If you’re wondering if there’s anything else you can do to prepare your home for winter, review your maintenance routine. What are your yearly efforts to keep your home running? Roof inspections, paint touchups and adding insulation to your outdoor pipes are other things you can add to your list.

Think about the interior and exterior of your home to determine what to focus on. As long as you take these steps, your property will be all set before the first snow arrives.

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