Easy Ways to Keep Your Home Warm This Winter

When the weather starts to get cold, it’s time to get your house ready for winter. The cold can make your home less cosy, cost you more to heat, and hurt your property. Thank goodness there are a few things you can do to protect your house from the weather and keep it warm all season. These helpful tips will help keep your home warm this winter.

Easy Winter Home Tips

Inspect and Seal Windows and Doors

Some of the main ways that heat leaves homes are through gaps and cracks around doors and windows. When warm air leaks out and cold air leaks in, energy costs go up.

• Check for drafts: On a windy day, put a candle or incense stick close to the edges of doors and windows to see if there are drafts. The flame is a draft if it gets dim.
• Fill in holes: Use glue or weatherstripping to stop any cracks or leaks.
• Upgrade windows: If your home still has single-pane windows, you might want to switch to double- or triple-pane types for better insulation.

Also, heavy shades can help keep warm air inside at night and cold air outside.

Insulate Your Attic and Walls

One of the best methods to shield your house from cold weather is with proper insulation. Heat naturally rises, and it can readily escape via the attic if there is insufficient insulation.

• Check attic insulation: if it is less than the height of your joists, it is time to install extra.
• Insulate walls: It’s possible that older homes don’t have enough wall insulation. Installing blown-in insulation or spray foam can have a significant impact.
• Don’t forget floors: To stop cold drafts, insulate the floor above any crawl spaces in your house.

Insulation lowers energy costs all year round in addition to keeping your house warmer in the winter.

Service Your Heating System

Winter is when your heating system works the hardest, so it’s important to make sure it’s functioning properly.

• Schedule a professional inspection: Before the cold sets in, get your boiler or furnace cleaned and inspected by a professional.
• Replace filters regularly: Clogged filters slow down the flow of air, which makes the system work harder and use more energy.
• Bleed radiators: Letting air out of a hot water radiator by bleeding it can help heat move around better.

You might also want to add a programmed thermostat to save energy and change the temperature on its own when you’re not there.

Protect Your Pipes from Freezing

Frozen water causing pipes to burst is one of the most expensive wintertime issues.

• Insulate exposed pipes: Use heat tape or pipe insulation made of foam to cover exposed pipes, especially in colder places like basements, attics, and garages.
• Let faucets drip: Permit water to drip gently from faucets connected to pipes that may freeze on very cold evenings.
• Open cabinet doors: A good way to get warm air circulating around the pipes under the sinks is to open the cabinet doors.

Turn the heat up to a minimum of 55°F, or 13°C, to prevent lines from becoming frozen in the winter.

Clean Gutters and Check the Roof

Ice dams are a common problem in the winter. They happen when the snow on your roof melts because your home’s heat is leaving and then freezes again at the edges. This could lead to leaks and damage to the structure.

• Clean gutters: Remove any leaves or other garbage from the gutters so that water can flow properly.
• Inspect the roof: Before winter arrives, check the roof for damage and replace shingles that are missing or broken.
• Add roof insulation: To prevent ice jams caused by snow melting in different areas, it is a good idea to insulate the roof. This will keep the attic at a comfortable temperature.

Another strategy for preventing ice buildup is to run heating wires along the roof’s perimeter.

Prepare Your Outdoor Areas

Be sure to have the exterior of your house ready for winter.

• Disconnect hoses: Empty and store garden hoses, disconnect water valves outdoors and don’t let pipes burst.
• Cover outdoor furniture: Bring outside furniture inside or wrap it in a waterproof material to protect it from precipitation.
• Check pathways: To prevent further damage from frozen water, inspect paths and seal any fractures in the road or walkways using caulk.

Removing trees that are too near to your home might prevent snow from damaging your roof or electricity lines if they were to break.

Add Extra Warmth Indoors

There are a lot of little things you can do to make your house cosier in the winter.

• Use area rugs: When the floors aren’t in use, cover them with area rugs to make them cosier.
• Reverse ceiling fans: To make warm air fall, turn the ceiling fan handle clockwise just a little bit.
• Add draft stoppers: To further seal off rooms from chilly air, install draft stoppers under doors.

Installing space heaters in cramped quarters is a good idea, but you must adhere to all fire safety regulations at all times.

Conclusion

There is no need to spend a lot of time or energy getting your home ready for winter. Keeping your heating system in good working order, fixing any leaks, and adequately insulate your property helps ensure that it remains warm, safe, and energy efficient throughout the winter. When the temperature drops, all your hard work now will have paid you in the form of savings, convenience, and calmness.