You can feel it in the air. Colder temps are coming. For some, this is a welcome respite. For others, it’s an unwelcome change. Whichever it is for you, there are some steps you can take to help keep your home toasty warm and fully functional when the cooler temps arrive. We worked with HomeZada to put together these cold weather prep tips for you.
Start Outside
Depending on your overall plan, your yard may need some cold weather prep. People who are doing native plantings and other eco-friendly practices may not follow these. For everyone else, you’ll want to start here.
First, rake any leaves and make a compost pile. Or by using your lawn mower, mulch leaves easily by running a few passes over the grass. Invest in a mulching blade or mower if you have a lot of leaves. This option has several benefits, including less physical labor, improved soil health, and cost-effectiveness.
You’ll also want to inspect trees and remove any loose limbs or branches. Doing so helps prevent damage once the snow starts falling.
While you’re out there, clean out the gutters and drains. This prevents any rain, snow, and melting snow from backing up. Water backups like that could damage your roof or other areas of your home.
Check for and Repair Air Leaks
Once you’re done outside, it’s time to start prepping inside your home. Air leaks allow cold air and sunlight into your home as well as create a situation where moist air and mold can enter inside the walls.
Finding air leaks takes a little work, but they’re usually easy enough to fix once you’ve found them.
Protect Your Pipes
Freezing pipes can create real problems. The expansion and contraction that occurs during freezing and thawing can lead to a burst pipe, flooding basements, and posing other risks.
Insulate any exposed pipes and drain pipes that lead to outside spigots to prevent freezing.
Want More Help? Check out this fall home organizing checklist.
Check Your Chimney
You should consider hiring a professional to do this. While wood stoves and fireplaces are wonderful during the cooler months, a blocked, clogged, or dirty chimney poses significant risks. Smoke could enter your home during use, or worse – a house fire could occur. Carbon monoxide is also a concern with a chimney that isn’t properly maintained.
Ceiling Fans
Proper use of ceiling fans can help circulate warm air. This is particularly helpful in larger spaces or homes with higher ceilings. Simply use the switch on the fan to change the blade rotation to clockwise. This will push the warm air down and help save you on heating costs.
Rearrange Furniture
Shifting the furniture may also help keep your home warmer if you have radiators or baseboards for heat. Large pieces of furniture near these heating elements hold a lot of the warmth, so moving them around will increase the flow of warm air throughout your home.
Declutter
You know we’re fans of decluttering here! While it’s not strictly cool-weather related, the colder months can be a great time to work on it because you’re already staying inside more. It’s a great chance to turn decluttering and organizing into a habit.
More tips for maintaining your home and creating a home-maintenance plan.
