10 ways to protect your home against cold weather

As winter fast approaches, it’s time to prepare your home for the cold weather. By accomplishing these 10 simple tasks, you can increase your home’s energy efficiency and protect it against damage caused by rain, snow and freezing temperatures.

This is done by a professional and can help you uncover any issues or problems with your home before the cold weather sets in.

You may be surprised at how much energy we lose underneath doors that are not properly sealed. To cut down on energy loss, you can use a “draft snake” or replace the weather stripping beneath your door.

You may be losing heat around your windows as well. By making sure they are properly caulked, you may cut your heating bill dramatically.

Many older homes have little or no insulation in the attic. Adding insulation to the attic, walls or floors can make a big difference in winter (conserving heat) and summer (keeping the cool air in). 

By upgrading an old furnace, or purchasing more efficient appliances, you can increase your home’s energy efficiency while keeping it warm during those cold weather months.

Did you know that rotating your fan clockwise produces warmer air, and counterclockwise produces cooler air? It’s true! 

Keeping temperatures lower at night can save you a lot of money on heating costs. 

By keeping the maximum temperature of your water heater just a little lower it will consume less energy, which can also save money. 

While you want to save money (especially if you’re away), you also need to make sure your pipes don’t freeze and expand, causing connecting faucets and pipes to freeze and break. Covering outside faucets with insulation kits also helps. 

Clear roof gutters and downspouts so they can drain properly and won’t cause issues with ice build-up or water overflow during a storm.