Today we are going to discuss the Top 5 Ways to Winterize Your Home this year. This list is a great starting point for you and your home and I’d love to hear what other tips you have for our clients, so please send me an email at josh@lipstoneinsurance.com.
Clean your gutters
Living in beautiful North Carolina means one thing come fall time and that’s watching the leaves fall to the ground and many of them ending up in your gutters. This can lead to major issues in the winter time that can be easily avoided by spending a Saturday afternoon on a ladder, or better yet hiring a licensed and insured professional to do this for you.
By cleaning out your gutters you are preventing damage that can happen to your siding, foundation, and ceilings. If your gutters are clogged, then the water can’t drain properly. During the winter months when temperatures drop to below freezing it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that water turns to ice and ice can cause major damage to your home. Not only will your gutters be impacted by this, but your down spouts will too.
So make sure that you clean out your gutters and this Saturday could be the perfect day to do that.
Seal up your home
Did you know that there are as many as 19 different ways that air can escape and come into your home according to the US Department of Energy? And not one of those 19 ways is your know-it-all cousin who doesn’t know when to stop talking!
When it comes to making sure that your home isn’t leaking air your two best friends are caulking and weatherstripping. One way to check to see if your windows or doors need to be sealed properly is to place your hand along the frame to see if you can feel any cold air coming in, simple right? If you do feel cold air make sure to remedy the situation as soon as possible. It’s very important that you select the right caulking and to learn more about that, here are some helpful tips.
Another great idea is to make your own door draft stopper. This is a great DIY opportunity to involve your children and help them learn about home maintenance at an early age. You should check out this great article on how to make one on your own or if you want to buy one check out these fun designs.
Programmable thermostats are your friend
With the advancement in technology you can be halfway around the world, use your smart phone, and change the temperature in your home with thermostats such as the Nest Thermostat or Honeywell Lyric Thermostat.
Regardless of which product you go with by having a programmable thermostat you are able to control the temperature in your home day and night. By doing this you can save hundred of dollars over the lifetime of your new thermostat.
Replace those filters
Make sure that you are changing out your filters on a regular basis especially the furnace filter during the winter months. By having a new filter it will improve the efficiency of your heating system and this will lead to lower utility bills which means more money stays in your pocket. And who can’t use extra money this time of year for Christmas shopping, or to help pay your insurance bills, because money doesn’t grow on trees.
Your best course of action would be to hire a licensed and insured heating and air conditioning specialist to come out to inspect your system and to regularly maintain your systems.
A chimney balloon can stop cold air and Santa Claus
This was by far my favorite tip to share with you because I never knew about it until today. A chimney balloon will not only prevent cold drafts, but will also keep out bugs and smells in your home. It creates a better seal than your typical damper and will be a great topic of conversation during the winter months. (Okay maybe not, but it’s still a pretty cool thing.)
But don’t forget to remove a chimney balloon when you want to start a fire or for Santa Claus to shimmy down your chimney on Christmas Eve.
And what is your reward?
A gold star! I’m kidding, but on a more serious note by following these tips you’ll be preventing any future problems. This can save you time, money, and the number one thing that this will help is from having to file an insurance claim.
So what are you waiting for? These are the Top Five Ways to Winterize Your Home and this weekend is the perfect time to do this. You want to make sure your home makes it safely through winter so you won’t have to make a call to me about a home insurance claim, and your home will thank you.