Our Top 4 Low-Cost Ways to Prep Your Home for Winter
Once the temperatures begin to fall, homeowners have an important task at hand: preparing their homes for winter weather. Readying your house for the colder months will save you money, keep you warm, and help you avoid costly repairs. Here are our top four low-cost ways to prep your home for winter.
- Insulate, Insulate, Insulate
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that homeowners can save about 15% on their heating and cooling costs by sealing and insulating their homes. This includes crawl spaces, basements, and attics. Attic insulation, as an example, helps keep warm air in during the winter, and cool air from leaking out in the summer. The simplest solution is to apply caulk or insulating foam, or you can hire an expert to professionally insulate your rooms.
- Replace Your Furnace Filters
For many homeowners, furnace filters are out of sight, and therefore out of mind. But checking your furnace filter every month—and changing it out every three months or so when it’s in full use—can lower your heating bills in the long run (and you can avoid stressing out your HVAC system more than necessary). The best way to check: see if light can shine through when held up to a lamp. If it’s fairly opaque, it’s time for a new filter.
- Window Coverings Aren’t Just Decorative
It’s easy to forget that window coverings serve a real purpose for your home—they’re not just there to complement your interior decor. Stand next to a window in winter, and more than likely you’ll be able to feel a slight chill emanating through the glass. Heavier curtains in the winter can be helpful at night. Draw them across your windows in order to better insulate your room and reduce the loss of expensive heat.
- Seal Furnace Ducts
You may be surprised to hear that leaks in your heating ducts are raising your utility bills. According to EnergyStar, furnace ducts lose up to 30% of the hot air they carry. Although you may have trouble reaching some of the ducts concealed in ceilings, floors, etc., you should be able to at least seal any exposed ducts in crawl spaces, garages and basements. Use metal tape to re-seal the connections and seams where vents meet walls.
Winter is coming—are you and your home ready? To learn more about how you can get your home ready for snowsuit weather, contact the home exterior experts at Baystate Exerior. Let us know how we can help you get your home ready for winter. We can advise you on professional home insulation, how to lower your energy bills, and more – contact us today on our website or you can give us a call at 857-389-5284!