Do you want to know some tricks to prepare your house for the winter? Having a well-heated home will help you save energy and keep the home warm and cozy during the cold months. So that, winter does not catch you off guard. We recommend that you take care of the maintenance of the underfloor heating and the chimneys of your house, with special attention to the blinds and the doors of the main rooms. Note down the winter home maintenance tips that must be needed for you.
Winter home maintenance tips
Clean the gutters
In order for the water and snow to drain properly, the gutters must be kept clean, the leaves and small debris removed. It is hard work and can be dangerous. It is necessary to use a high ladder (strong and stable, preferably aluminum) and a pressure hose. I advise you to hire the services of a professional, taking into account three details: check that you have insurance, preferably choose a company specialized in this type of service and check your references. If you wish to clean yourself, seek the help of a relative or neighbor.
Seal the cracks
The best way to control heating and cooling costs is by reducing the amount of air that seeps in and out of the home. For that, you can seal the cracks with two methods: caulking ( caulking ) or weatherstripping ( weatherstripping ). Caulking is usually used in the frames surrounding the doors and windows, and weather stripping is more effective in sealing doors and windows as such.
Reverses the direction of the ceiling fans
Operate the small switch to change the direction of the fan blades on the roof of your house. That is when it is summer the fan blades move in the opposite direction to the clockwise. In cold weather, and since hot air tends to rise to be less dense than cold air, the fan blades must move in the same direction as clockwise. In this way, the heat that accumulates in the ceiling is rerouted downwards.
Check windows and insulation
To avoid the loss of heat when the windows are not new or are not in good condition you can resort to installing shutters. They are superimposed on the ones you already have, they can be installed inside or outside and cost much less than new windows. Regarding the insulation, the Energy.gov recommends putting insulating material in the attic, the walls, the floors, the basement, and the mezzanines. Make an estimate of the amount you will need in your home.
Clean and tune the chimney
It is important to keep the fireplace clean, either wood or gas and hires a professional to check it periodically. Before the cold starts, check that the vent is not blocked by debris or by an animal nest. If you burn wood logs, an annual cleaning is necessary to remove excess creosote (that blackish substance that accumulates on the walls of the chimney). In gas fireplaces, check that the fan and the burners are working correctly.
Saves hoses and installs frost-free faucets
If you live in the cold areas of the country, completely empty the water from the hoses in the yard. This way, you will avoid that water residues freeze and, when increasing in volume, damage the hose. Then roll it up and hang it from a hook in the garage. If you can change the tap to which the hose is connected on the outside by a frost-proof one, to prevent it from freezing and potentially blowing the pipe.
Change the bedspreads
With the cold around the corner, it’s time to remove the summer bedspreads and remove the blankets or quilts. Before, I advise you to wash the quilts (or send them to be cleaned) with a mild detergent; And so they do not lose their plush touch, put them in the dryer with two or three tennis balls. A decorative tip: buy a new duvet cover and combine it with a pillowcase. They will look fresh and new!
Put blankets on the sofa
The blankets, in addition to being necessary for the cold, give a warm touch to the living room or family room. Drop a blanket casually on your back or one of the arms of the sofa or put a couple of them. In different colors and in an open basket next to the sofa. Although the wool ones are the hottest, you will find a great variety of styles and autumnal colors in cotton, polyester, and flannel.
Put the plants inside the house
Start by inspecting each plant well, see that they do not have any plague that can infect the rest of your plants. The transition from outside to inside must be gradual. A good method, for example, is to plant the plants at night for a week or 10 days. Or, try putting them in the shade so that they get used to receiving less light, and also less water, because once inside they require less irrigation.
Extra tips for preparing the house for winter
With the arrival of winter, we recommend you do some DIY tasks to prepare the house for winter. If you do not want to be cold at home during the winter and you want to keep your home well heated. You can follow the winter home maintenance tips we give you below:
Learn to thermally insulate your home: The walls of our house are not as well insulated as they should be and this generates losses and gains of heat that we compensate with electricity or gas consumption.
Keep the fireplace clean and safe: If you have a fireplace at home, you should take care of its maintenance in these cold months. It is necessary that, at least, every two years, we clean and prepare it for its main function during the winter. If you do not have a fireplace at home, you can learn to install an electric fireplace in the living room to keep your home warm during the winter.
Maintain and take care of the heating system: Before the arrival of the cold, it is necessary to check the heating systems that you have installed in your home: correct possible pressure losses and purge the radiators are the main steps to avoid breakdowns and achieve greater comfort and less consumption.
Monitor the windows: Avoiding the infiltration of air through the windows will allow you to conserve the interior heat, at the same time that you will not need to increase the power and expense of your boiler.
Insulate the doors of the cold: Install weather strips on the doors to prevent the passage of air and thus maintain the ideal temperature of our home.
Have you found these winter home maintenance tips interesting? You no longer have an excuse to prepare your house for the winter and protect it from the cold during these months.
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