Prepping Your Home for the Upcoming Winter Season

As the winter season approaches faster than many of us had hoped for, it becomes more critical to prepare your home and keep your mind at ease when the weather starts to turn. Many may not realize how much winter can impact your home, so taking the proper precautions will help to get you and your home ready for the winter season. It is very important to take care of your home's exterior and interior when preparing for the chilly weather. Who wants to worry about having to take on any home projects when it’s cold out? Our guess is, no one!

This article will walk you through what you should have in your home for winter and what to mark off of your checklist before the first snowfall.

Invest in a Smart Thermostat

After returning home from a long day at work on a cold winter afternoon, the last thing you want is to walk into a frigid house. If you’re wondering how you would be able to avoid that, we have the answer for you – smart thermostats! A smart thermostat can be controlled from your smartphone, so you’re able to turn your heat on and off with the tap of a finger. This makes it quick and easy to manage your home’s temperature while the system itself helps to save you money and energy.

If you don’t already have a smart thermostat and are considering one, making the choice sooner rather than later will add to a comfortable home and reduced utility bills. Installing this type of thermostat is something that should be done before winter hits in case any incidents occur, such as faulty wires or power outages. If you’re unfamiliar with thermostats and their installation, Bob’s Heating & Air Conditioning can help you install a smart thermostat for your home.

Check your Home’s Insulation

Before winter hits, creating a checklist of what needs to be done will also help you to get your home ready. One of the items on the checklist should be to check your home’s insulation during the summer or fall to allow you to find and resolve any problems that arise. Due to the temperature drop outside as winter progresses, ensuring your home is properly insulated will help keep your home warm. Your windows, siding, attic, and basement should all be insulated to avoid any cold air from entering your home.

Having your home properly insulated will also decrease the chances of your pipes freezing. Frozen pipes in the winter can cause a variety of problems making it hard to get them working again - or worse, breakage! If you are experiencing your pipes freezing, try the below tactics:

• Use thermostatically controlled heat tape and wrap it around the pipes.
• Break out a trusted, strong hair dryer and use the hottest setting to unfreeze the pipes.
• Place a space heater near the pipes.

Taking initiative to check your home’s insulation will not only protect your home, but it will protect you and your family during the colder months. If you find that your pipes do end up freezing, because sometimes it is out of your control, follow these steps above to defrost any frozen pipes in your home.

Complete All Summer Projects

Transitioning from fall to winter tends to come much sooner than you think, so you’ll want to prepare sooner rather than later. Make sure, before winter begins, you wrap up any projects you started earlier in the year –especially if they involve the exterior of your home. Let’s face it, working outside when it’s cold or snowing isn’t fun, so completing these exterior projects before the cold weather arrives allows you to spend more time with your family during the holiday season.

Winter is the perfect time to complete interior projects throughout the home as well. Take this opportunity to update your kitchen cabinets, reorganize your pantry, and  invest in some new appliances. Purchasing new appliances before winter will allow you to have them in your home before the cold weather strikes so you are guaranteed they will work and will last you throughout the cooler months. No one wants to have any appliance malfunctions during winter storms. If you are investing in new appliances, you may consider looking into a home warranty plan to help protect your investments and save you money if anything goes wrong later down the road. If you do not invest in this plan, you may be at risk of having to pay for pricey repairs or buy brand-new appliances if anything happens to go wrong with them, and we know how much money that can cost us especially paired with holiday spending during the winter. A home warranty plan can also help when it comes to any HVAC issues you may experience as well, which is vital for keeping your home warm in the cooler months. In combination with the money saved, a warranty plan can help you to cut back on time spent addressing appliance issues as well.

As the leaves begin to fall off the trees and the frost comes out in the mornings, follow these tips and tricks to get your home ready for another dreadful (for some) season of winter. Now that you can get started on your to-do list, also take some time to relax and enjoy your warm home with your friends and family.