9 steps to prepare your home for winter

Winter may appear to be a gentle season, with falling snow and cooler temperatures that tempt you to curl up with a warm beverage. However, the winter months, which include cold weather and winter storms, can be harsh and cause damage to your home if you are not prepared. StrongInsurance can help you prepare for winter by providing home-preparation tips. These precautions may help to reduce damage to your home during winter storms and may even help you avoid damage altogether.

How to prepare your home for winter weather

Preparing a home for the winter may appear daunting, but these tips can usually be completed over the course of a weekend, and you will be better prepared for whatever weather comes your way.

1. Clean your gutters

You should do this every season, but the time just before winter may be the most critical. If your area receives a lot of snow, your house will have to bear the extra weight. If your gutters become too heavy, they may be pulled away from your house.

The most important reason, however, is that if you do not clean your gutters, your home may sustain water damage. The damage caused by melting and refreezing snow and ice could cost thousands of dollars. Make sure that when the snow melts, the water has somewhere to go so that it does not end up in your house.

2. Recaulk your windows and doors

Recaulk your windows and doors at least once a year to avoid water damage and heat loss. A caulk gun and a tube of exterior caulk will set you back around $20, and you can usually finish it in an afternoon.

To be clear, you should only caulk the outside perimeter of the molding around your windows and doors. Exterior silicone caulk is less affected by extreme temperatures, which means it will not shrink and expand as the seasons change.

To caulk your windows and doors, use your caulk gun to cut the exterior caulking tube at a small angle (most caulking guns have an internal blade for this). Insert the tube into the gun and turn the handle until the circular pad is tightly pressed against the tube. When you apply enough force to the hole, the caulk should begin to come out. Next, run a thin line of caulk across your house's window or door molding. Lightly press down on the caulk with a latex-gloved finger to spread it out until it is smooth and fills all of the tiny cracks and crevices.

3. Get your roof inspected

This is most likely the most important step in winterizing a home. If you are unable to access your home's roof, a contractor can inspect it for loose or broken shingles.

Any contractor you hire to perform an inspection should also be capable of performing minor repairs in an afternoon (replacing shingles is usually a quick process). It may cost you more than you want to spend, but ignoring it for an entire winter can easily lead to even more repair bills later on.

Winter storms, particularly heavy rain and hail, are notorious for wreaking havoc on roofs, so it's critical to repair any damage before your roof faces its toughest test: packed snow.

4. Reverse your ceiling fans

Warm air rises, as most people learn in school. Reversing the direction of each of your fans will create an updraft, which will push down any heated air pressed against the ceiling of your room. By keeping warm air circulating, you'll be able to use heat more efficiently, potentially saving money on energy. Even if you don't have any rooms with high ceilings, reversing the direction of your fan as soon as the weather changes is a good idea.

To reverse the direction of your fan, turn it off and then click the switch above the blades. If you have a remote-controlled fan, the remote should have a button for reversing the fan's direction.

5. Get your chimney inspected

If you have a fireplace, have it inspected and cleaned before each burning season, even if wood isn't your primary source of heat and you only use it for decoration.

When you burn wood, creosote deposits form on the inside of your chimney. Creosote is both carcinogenic and highly flammable. When enough of it accumulates in your chimney, the smoke from a fire can cause it to ignite, resulting in a chimney fire. Chimneys are the source of many home fires. Having your chimney inspected can help protect your family and home from fire hazards.

Consider installing a steel liner, which will help protect your home in the event of a chimney fire.

6. Drain the fuel from your small gas-powered engines

Gasoline does not last indefinitely. It actually decomposes quickly. When this happens in a small engine (such as a lawn mower or weed eater), the carburetor can become clogged, and you may not be able to start it again when winter is over.

To avoid this, use a fuel stabilizer or let the machine burn through all of the gas by running it one last time in late summer or early fall and letting it run until it shuts down. If you do this, your machines will last longer and start easier in the spring.

7. Tune up your home’s systems

The winter months are ideal for heating systems. A technician cleaning and tuning up your furnace, whether gas or electric, could help your systems run more efficiently during the winter months. You should also change the batteries in your smoke detectors once a year, which is a good time to do during the winter.

Additionally, if you have carbon monoxide detectors, change the batteries and test them if your model allows. Carbon monoxide is odorless, colorless, and extremely dangerous, so having a working detector is critical to ensuring winter safety. Carbon monoxide poisoning is most common during the winter, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

8. Cut back tree branches

Winter snow can be heavy, and if you have an ice storm, even healthy tree branches are likely to snap. Cutting back overhanging branches may help you avoid roof damage if a branch breaks. Ice-coated branches are heavy and can cause roof damage, as well as fall through and cause internal damage. If you are unable to cut back branches on your own, a landscaping company or tree surgeon can inspect your trees and make any necessary changes to keep your home safe.

9. Check your insurance coverage

The period leading up to winter is typically a good time to contact your home insurance company and review your coverage. If you did any renovations over the summer that could increase the value of your home, make sure the additional value is covered by your policy in case something happens during the season. You should also confirm how your policy covers potential winter damage, such as ice dams, fires, or damage from tree branches. Different types of home insurance cover different types of losses. Understanding how your policy will react to damage before it occurs can help you identify potential coverage gaps.

Taking the time to prepare your home for winter and perform basic home maintenance may help you reduce the amount of damage your home sustains from winter storms, or even avoid damage entirely. You may feel more prepared to face the winter months after you've winterized your home.