Fall has just begun, meaning that winter is right around the corner. Properly winterizing your home can help prevent damages that could result in costly repairs.Inspect your Heating System
The absolute last thing you want to fail during the winter months is your heating system! You’ll want to check:
The filter: Most experts recommend changing your furnace’s filter at the beginning and end of the winter month cycles. To check if your filter needs changing, turn off your thermostat and remove the filter (usually located on the side of the furnace). Hold the filter up to a light source. If no light can pass through, the filter is too dirty and needs to be replaced.
Power: Make sure everything is powered correctly and breakers are turned on.
Try it out: Before it gets too cold, do a test run and see if your house heats up properly. Pay attention for any odd sounds or smells.
Seal Leaks & Insulate
If you noticed drafty areas and cold spots during previous winters, then you may want to prepare by sealing up any leaking areas. Check for gaps around entry ways and seal them using weather stripping or caulking where necessary.
Any home in a cold area should be well-insulated, but if you notice your home is losing a lot of heat, you may want to add additional insulation to areas like the attic and the basement.
Winterize your Water
If you have a sprinkler or outdoor irrigation system, turn it off and blow out the water to prevent freezing.
If you won’t be in your home during the winter months, keep your home heated to at least 13°C to prevent the water in the pipes from freezing and bursting.
Take Care of your Backyard
Clean up any gardening items and put away any furniture that can’t stay out during the winter.
If you have a pool, you’ll have to winterize it.
- Test and balance the water: Use an at-home pool test kit to test its alkalinity, pH levels, and hardness. If your levels fall out of the normal ranges, you’ll need to add increasers or reducers as necessary.
pH: 7.2 to 7.6
Hardness: 175 to 275
- Clean the pool and the filter: Vacuum the bottom of the pool and remove any debris that’s floating around. Clean out the filter as well.
- Pool shock: Pool shock uses a high dose of chemicals to destroy any bacteria and algae that will form in the pool. Circulate the water for four hours after adding pool shock to ensure that it’s infused properly.
- Add algaecide: To further prevent algae growth, add algaecide and circulate around the pool. Run your pump for 24 hours afterwards.
- Lower the water level: You’ll want the water level to be slightly lowered during the winter months so you can close the pool up.
- Cover the pool: Remove the pool ladder, remove the eyeball fitting and plug it with a rubber plug, and pull over the pool cover and secure it with winter cover clips.
Check the Roof & Gutters
Check your roof for any missing shingles, which may lead to water entering your home. Similarly, you’ll want to make sure your gutters are clean to prevent ice dams forming.
Check Your Driveway
Any potholes in your driveway will be made worse by the winter weather. The best time to patch them up is before winter arrives, so consider getting it done before the first snowfall!
Spray for Bugs
Many bugs make their way into warm homes during the winter months, so get ahead of them by spraying around the exterior doors and windows of your home.
Check Carbon Monoxide and Smoke Detectors
The risk of carbon monoxide poisoning rises during the winter due to the increased use of heating systems. Give all your detectors a quick check to ensure they’re working properly.
Prepare for Outages
Unfortunately, winter often means snowstorms and power outages. You’ll want to be prepared if your power does go out, so make sure you have the following items on hand:
- Flashlights/candles: You’ll need a source of light during the night if the power goes out, so be sure to have a few flashlights and candles ready to go. In addition to providing light, candles give off a surprising amount of heat!
- Water: You’ll likely want both drinking water and extra water for when the water isn’t running. The rule of thumb for drinking water is you should have about 2L per person.
- Wood: If you have a wood burning fire, then make sure you have some wood ready to help with warmth during an outage.
- Portable chargers: Have some portable chargers on hand so that you can keep your phone charged.
- First aid kit: A first aid kit is always good to have ready.
If you stay on top of your yearly home maintenance, then the winter weather shouldn’t give you any issues. You can welcome the cold weather knowing you’re fully prepared!
