How To Prepare Your Home For Colder Weather

Love it or hate it, colder weather is upon us. That means it’s time to start tackling those projects that prepare your home for that colder weather. Home maintenance never ends for homeowners so it’s important to keep up on the latest tasks at hand so you don’t fall behind. We’ve compiled a quick hit-list of DIY projects to knock out before that cold weather hits hard. See something that we missed? Let us know in the comments!

Replace Weather Stripping

Did you know, to maximize your homes efficiency, you should replace your weather stripping on doors and windows every 2-3 years? Majority of a homes heat loss is directly from windows and entryways. So keeping up on your weather stripping can make a big difference in sealing out the outside elements and keeping your home nice and cozy.

Rake Up Excess Leaves

Some homeowners question the need for this. Rest assured that it’s a necessary part of up-keeping the health of your lawn. Leaving thick layers of large leaves will suffocate your grass and prevent it from receiving needed carbon dioxide and sunlight during the fall months. Your grass won’t grow in root strength and will not be as healthy as it should be when spring arrives. Getting rid of the leaves also leaves much less of a mess when spring does come around. Keeping your lawn healthy helps your overall curb appeal. So spend a few minutes on leaf removal and you’ll be thankful for it later.

Install a Programmable Thermostat

Source: We Are Top 10

Getting a programmable thermostat helps you control the amount of energy you are using to keep your home at comfortable temperatures. As outside temperatures drop, you can set what times of day should be at what temperature. That way, you’re not heating your home when you’re not even home. This can cut energy bill cost drastically if done correctly (especially in the summer time with air conditioners).

Add a Storm Door

Storm doors add another layer of insulation to your entryways. Since you lose most of your homes energy from your door, why not have a second layer? It helps keep the outside elements off your entryway and prevents additional wear and tear to your door, all while adding another layer of insulation to keep the heat inside. Most storm oors can be installed pretty easily and fit on most exterior entryways.

Add Low-E Door Glass

Adding a glass panel to your door allows significantly more sunlight in to your home and is a beautiful way to enhance your entryway when you select a decorative panel. But the newer glass panels also have energy efficient options called Low-E Door Glass, which drastically increases the energy efficiency of a door glass insert. The Low-E glass has a film on it that helps prevent heat from passing through, meaning that it will help keep that cold air out and that warmer air in. You can swap out your old glass for a brand new design and upgrade to Low-E all at the same time. The project typically takes less than an hour to DIY.

Internal Deep Clean

Typically the colder weather means your doors and windows are closed off and air becomes stagnant. Before it does, make sure to deep clean the house to get rid of any dirt, dust, or funky smells that you don’t want to sit with all winter. Shampoo carpets, dust and vacuum every nook and cranny, throw out / donate excess items around the house that are cluttering up your spaces. You’ll feel a lot better this winter with a clean and un-cluttered home to settle into.

Replace Furnace Filter

Now that the house is cleaned, make sure your air quality is high throughout the winter by swapping out old filters so your re-circulated air can be fresh and clean as well. With a clean house and clean air, you’ll won’t feel so down in the brown seasons.