How to Prepare Your Home for Winter

How to Prepare Your Home for Winter

Suburban home covered with snowConnecticut is known for its long winters that can make even the warmest-hearted ones gloomy and wishing for spring. You don’t want winter to come upon you and suddenly realize that your home isn’t prepared for it. Getting service in winter is especially hard because the demand spikes up. It’s best to be ready, and here are four crucial ways to prepare your home for winter in Connecticut:

Have your fireplace checked

Your best friend in winter is your fireplace, and it’s best to have it checked and maintained now and then.

A good chimney sweep company will be able to tell you if the fireplace is safe to use and if it has any maintenance problems that need to be resolved before you can use it. The chimney sweep company, more often than not, is also a brick contractor in Connecticut, so ask it how much it would take to repair or upgrade your fireplace. You should also stock up on lots of firewood. Ask for suggestions on good sources of hardwood, like elm, oak, maple, or beech.

Check your heating system

Another winter-fighting tool in your arsenal is your heating system, and you have to make sure that it’s working at its peak performance. First, check its filters and see if they need replacing. If you hold them up and you can’t see anything through them, it’s time to replace them.

You should also call a heating system maintenance company to check on your unit for signs of damage. Better to be proactive about it than have it break down in the middle of a winter night.

See how you can cut down on heating costs

Lower electricity billHeating costs naturally spike up in winter as more energy is used. If you want to cut it down somehow, there are some things you can do.

First, you can install a programmable thermostat which allows you to program the times when your home is empty and when people are coming back home. This way, it uses lower energy when no one’s at home and spikes it up as people are coming home.

Second, you can shift to energy-efficient appliances like heating systems. In its efforts to reduce greenhouse gases, the U.S. government created a set of guidelines for energy-efficient appliances. Those that pass these guidelines are awarded the Energy Star accolade. You can start switching to Energy Star appliances to reduce your heating costs.

Seal up leaks

Lastly, it’s crucial to inspect your home for leaks. Make sure to seal up drafts that might be around your doors or windows. You can seal drafts in your windows with an inexpensive plastic insulation film or a temporary caulk. You can also use draft blockers that you can put at the base of doors and windows.

You should also check for drafts around pipes, plumbing, attic, lights, utility penetrations, and other possible places where heat may escape.

Preparing your home for winter in Connecticut doesn’t have to be time-consuming and expensive. Even the simplest precautions like sealing up drafts can make a huge impact. Taking the necessary preparations can save from you a lot of trouble down the wintery road.

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