Getting cozied up by the fire with a cup of hot chocolate is one of the best parts of the Winter season. There are some things during the season that aren’t as great, though, like shoveling your driveway or performing maintenance around the house. If you aren’t doing regular maintenance around your home, small issues can become large ones very quickly. Repairs can be costly and cost you time away from the winter activities that you love. Keeping rock salt and a shovel handy is smart to do in the winter, but you won’t want to miss these lesser-known winter tips.
Weatherproof Your Doors and Windows
Stay ahead of mother nature, and winter storms are imperative to protecting your home. Air can leak into your windows and doors and cause a draft, which can increase the cost of your heating and cooling bills. Temporary fixes like weatherstripping and caulking will patch small holes. If quick fixes don’t do the trick, you may need to replace your windows or doors.
Reverse The Direction of Your Fans
Reversing the direction of your ceiling fans is a much-less known tip that can certainly make a difference. In most cases, warm air rises, but when you reverse your fans, you can keep warm air lower where you can feel it. If you’re interested in reversing the direction of your fans, you can do so by finding the switch on the outside and changing it in the opposite direction.
Keep Your Gutters Clean
Roofing and siding are considered to be the primary protectors of your home’s exterior. Your gutters play a huge role in diverting ice, water, and snow away from your home, keeping it dry and sturdy. Ensuring that your gutters are clean during all-seasons, but especially in the winter, can extend the life of your gutters.
Keep Your Heat On
You may think that shutting your heat off during the day will save you money, but it actually can cause your pipes to freeze and cost you tons of money. Maintaining a threshold in the 60-degree range will prevent your pipes from freezing and keep your home comfortable. Keeping your home at a baseline temperature will actually lower your heating costs because your heating unit won’t need to work overtime to warm the house from freezing temperatures.
We hope you’ve enjoyed learning more about how you can protect your home’s exterior from common winter weather problems. If you need assistance in maintaining your home or are in need of repairs, contact our team today!
