If you haven't started to winterize your home now may be a good time.
So lets get started, first and probably the most important place to start would be with your heating system.
- Have your furnace inspected by a qualified technician to insure it is in good working order.
- Change the filter regularly, don't forget to stock up on filters for the cold season since you will be spending more time indoors they tend to get dirty faster.
- Clean out the air vents to allow full circulation, also remove any furniture, curtains or other items away from or on top of the vents.
Now that you have checked your heating system and have that ready to go, lets go through the rest of the house and get that ready.
- Look for worn or cracked weatherstripping and caulking, replace any that would allow cold drafts in to the home.
- Check areas that may be open for mice to enter, make sure you have them sealed up and good tip is to use some steel wool in the area before caulking or sealing the areas since mice will not chew through steel wool.
- Switch your ceiling fan blades to allow for better circulation.
- Replace light weight curtains with heavy weight drapes, this will help insulate the window areas.
Winterizing isn't all about checking for drafts and keeping your home warm, it's also about checking some areas of the home for safety,
- Check all batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, also make sure you have one in each room.
- Consider installing solar lights outside your home, during winter months it gets darker sooner and having solar lights will provide light only when needed.
- Trim bushes and shrubbery away from windows and doors.
- Turn off outdoor water supply to keep it from freezing.
Starting these projects now and spreading them out over a few days or weeks will make them easier to handle before winter sets in. So take some time then you can sit back and watch the snow fall.