Good Lifestyle

You may be looking forward to creating snowmen, sipping hot chocolate and walking in aWinter wonders In the coming months, but the coldest season of the year is not so wonderful for your home. With freezing temperatures and snowstorms on the way, your home can certainly take a shot. It's up to you to take preventative action by preparing your home before the winter time enters. Because, likeGlenn WisemanSales Manager ofTop Hat Home Comfort ServicesWe remind us ", winter is a long season and you never know when it will end, so it is better to be ready for the worst."

Unfortunately, chances are high, you overlook some very necessary winter home preparation tasks. For example, are you sure you have good insulation and are you sure you keep your firewood in the right place? We talked to the experts to find out what you arenot To make your home ready for the winter. The good news? You change everything today!

Many people know they need to isolate their home to keep the air hot and cold air during the winter. However,Paul Farmer, Vice President of Marketing forRiverwood cabins, warns that you must be careful about the products you trust.

"For example, the" insulating "window film is almost totally useless," he says. "What does it work although work is to get double or triple windows, or go for the affordable option of thick and thermal insulation curtains."

The water heaters work with time in winter and if you do not hold them correctly, they can easily break down you. To avoid this catastrophe,John Borozic, co-founder of the company of domestic maintenance financial solutionsHome Zada, recommends draining your water heater to prepare winter. "The bottom of your hot water heater accumulates with mineral deposits resulting in a more difficult heating job to get hot water and may be a cause of the decomposing and possibly flooding heater," he says.

Your driveway can be a security concern when walking or driving on after the snow begins to fall or rain turns to ice. If you are looking to make your driveway,Robyn Flint, a home insurance specialist toExpert insurance Reviews, recommends spreading gravel before fixed freezing temperatures. And even if you already have gravel, Flint says that you have to replace it with a new gravel because the material can ignite with potholes and loose areas over time.

Snow and gel can leave trees and branches extremely vulnerable to breaking and falling houses or neighboring cars. That is whyFred McGill Jr., CEO of the house of purchase and sale of the houseSimple showingI recommend reducing the branches on the trees surrounding your home so that they are "at least eight feet away from home."

Not only can the branches can damage your home if they break and do not fall, but McGill also explains that long branches create an easy road for squirrels and rodents to make a way in your house, especially in winter when they are looking for Warmer places to hide.

Imagine this: it's -10 degrees outside and you have to go out on your roof to repair a leak. Do not sound well, is not it? But this situation is also avoidable if you do all your inspections and repairs from your roofbefore The cold weather takes place. It is not only more difficult to get out and repair the roof problems in winter, but freezing temperatures can also damage already vulnerable roofs.

"One thing owners should look for is a start of water on your roof," saysKershan BULSARAManager ofTOITMASTER OTTAWA. "This can cause significant damage to your home if it is not treated in time and will only worse when the snow begins to fall."

The last thing you want during the winter is that your pipes freeze. But if they are not isolated enough, that's exactly the situation you will find yourself.

"Check your pipes before the cold rule," RECOMMENDSErin Gilbert withFerguson roof in St. Louis. "Are they properly isolated? Otherwise, it's time to wrap them so that you can help prevent the gel. The burst pipes are a dear and disordered question to tackle. Make sure you know where your Water water, you can also stop it quickly. If an emergency should occur. "

Your chimney is usually used only during the winter, so do not think you simply miss it after ignoring it for months without preparing it first. "You must have your chimney swept and inspected," says Gilbert. Otherwise, you put yourself in danger for a potentialfire hazard.

A flowery and pure curtain can be enough during the spring and summer months, but it will not do anything good come. "These windy balls will have to be removed until next summer if you want to keep warm and save money on your heating invoices," says Gilbert. She notes that winter is when you should get out of your electricity curtains, which will "help hear the heat on these cold winter nights."

What is the good of a snow blower non-work? About as good as having one at all. So make sure that your winter speed runs before the first storm of the season. "Before diving the temperature, you will want to serve your snow blower, replace the rakes and worn shovels and buy a lot of ice-cast iron and sand," said Gilbert.

With burning fireplaces and gourmet holiday dinners, there is a lot offire hazards In your home during the winter. And, if you are not prepared for potential emergencies, your house could be infat difficulty.

"It's a smart idea to test your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide every few months," said Gilbert. "We recommend that you do it and change the batteries as soon as the daylight lighting time ends. While you are there, replace the fire extinguishers over a decade to turn off all fire that may occur. "

Gilbert also warns the owners to get their "heating served before the cold really settles". "Run your heater for a few minutes to see if problems arise," she says. "And as always, keep changing your filters every few months or more if you have any additional dust cocks or dust at home."

The cracks in the foundation of your home are particularly dangerous during the winter because they can leave cold air in, as well as parasites. Gilbert says that during the autumn months, as you are outside of you, look at your foundations. Check the cracks and give professionals a call if you have. This includes a deterioration of mortar or missing bricks that you can discover. "

There are many ways of cold air can drift in your home in winter and you will want to stop as much as possible, not only in order to stay warm, but also to keep your bill of energy. The first step? "Calfuting your windows and doors", saysAlex Bererezowski, Owner ofThe experts of the Foundation, Inc. "By doing, you will keep brillions at a minimum by extinguishing air leaks around your home"

Bererezowski says, "It's also a much easier task than most suppose." "All you have to do is light an incense stick and hold it next to your windows and doors," he explains. "The airflow will show you the exact points where the air escapes. Once you know where the air comes from, caulking and seal the area with waterproof."

Caulking also prevents all rodents from making a way in your house, seeing that "mice can pass through a hole as small as a cent," saysLeah Hazelwood withTaste pest control.

You may be tempted to store certain outdoor objects on your porch or near your home so you do not have to go far in the cold when you get them back. But Hazelwood warns against her if you want to keep parasites. Specifically, she says that "firewood can be infested with beetles or termites", you should not store it inside your home or near it.

It also warns the owners who stacked leaves are a "breeding ground for insects such as ants and spiders", so they should be cleaned instead of stacking against the side of the house.

TheOutside your home is just as important when it comes to winter preparation as the interior. But, most of the time, people fail adequatelyPrepare their courses for hard winter weather.

Rhianna miller, home improvement expert forRubber mulch, recommends creating a list and a calendar for winter gardening. She says that not only do you know the gel dates in your area, but you should also know which plants are made to survive winter and need care. Fortunately, theDepartment of Agriculture of the United States A map of the plant manufacturing area to help you prepare your property at the coldest period of the year.

Fireplace fires are too common in winter. According toU.S. Consumer Product Safety CommitteeThere were about 22,500 fireplace fires in 2014 alone. This is because "when soot and tar are allowed to increase, the risk of fireplace is considerably increased," says Miller. To avoid becoming a statistic, it suggests you "to have your fireplace inspected and cleaned before turning on your fireplace during the first cold night."

Mattress Can cost a nice penny, but fortunately they can last for years if you keep them in good shape. "A good overall rule to keep your mattress in the best possible condition is to return it at the beginning of each season," says Miller. Depending on the type of mattress you have, "You can return the head to walk or completely on its other side. This prevents your mattress from developing pieces and bumps for continuous use in the same locations."

Seeks to go out the fence around your house? Make sure to add it to your list of winter home preparation tasks.Francis, co-owner ofIdeal fence, says that it is the task that many owners forget to tackle before the cold weather begins.

"Many owners do not know that painting actually dries too fast during the summer months due to extended heat, which can actually ruin your wood. If you paint your fence before the cold weather arrives, it will protect it from the Wet time about to continue, said side. "And, by doing so, you will save a lot of money in not having to replace your fence entirely from spring."

Before winter, you must make sure that you cleaned your gutters.Kelly Shepard ofAll the roof of the weather In the Massachusetts previouslyRecount Better life It recommends annually the inspection and maintenance of routine gutter, including once before the winter. You should check to face gutters, holes or cracks and debris.

The last thing you want to do with the preparation of winter, ignores the cost of your heating. AsMatthias Alleckna, an energy expert atENERGYRATES.CAExplains that it is natural to spend more heating during the winter, which you use electricity or natural gas. But just because you spend more than you have to spendhundreds Following.

Checking your energy bill To make sure your costs can not increase too much can help you reach the bottom of the problems and rectify them. For example, Alleckna emphasizes that "when you do not go out of your oven filter for a new one, your heating system works louder, which will take longer to heat your home and generate significantly more costs." Doing a little extra work before the worst winter strikes can save you a lot of time, money and long-term problems.