Winterize Your Home

The official start to winter hasn’t yet arrived but the cold weather is definitely here in the DC Metro area. Get ready for the upcoming season by winterizing your home with the following tips!

Exterior

• Inspect the outside of your home for material that may be damaged and letting in cold air or moisture. If you notice cracks, caulk could help do the trick to avoid air sneaking in.

• Make sure water hoses are disconnected and, if possible, turn off the water to the outside faucets.

• The roof a major area of concern. Check for any loose or missing pieces and remove any debris from surrounding trees. Inspect the ceiling under your roof for any water damage which may show signs of a leak.

• Make sure gutters have been cleaned. Leaves and built-up dirt can cause major issues if left unattended.

• For tips on storing your lawn mower, review instructions from Family Handyman.

Interior

• Check your basement and attic areas for cold. Add new or additional insulation in areas that may not be well protected. Consider adding pipe insulation so they don’t freeze during a cold snap.

• Even though you may have already checked for cracks on the outside, you can double check the interior of the home for areas that may be letting in cold air.

• Weather stripping exterior doors and windows can help keep the cold air out and, in turn, help lower heating costs.

• For safety, inspect your wood burning fireplace before the first use. It’s recommended that chimneys should be cleaned by a professional once a year.

• If you didn’t to test your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors at the time change, be sure to test now to ensure they are working properly.

Preparedness

No matter where you live in Virginia or DC, there are typically some form of winter weather storms each year. Occasionally these storms can cause power outages. Consider having a flashlight, ice scraper, and snow shovel on hand (not in the car). Additional supplies you’d want to have in the case of a power outage include candles, battery powered lantern, canned food, medicines and batteries. If a storm is imminent, store several gallons of water.

Keep an emergency winter kit in your car. The kit should include: flashlight, blanket, snow shovel, cat litter (not the clumping one), first aid kit, ice scraper, jumper cables, water and snacks such as energy bars & nuts.

Let me know if you have additional suggestions to add. If you need additional help with resources to get your home winterized, reach out to me. I’m happy to share vendors I work with for my own home.

Hope you have a safe and fun winter season!