The ultimate checklist to winterize your home

If you winterize your home, you can prevent any unexpected surprises. This checklist will help you beat the cold and make your home winter-ready.

The trick to preparing your home for winter is to start early before any snow is on the ground. You can easily tackle most of the items on this list yourself, although it is a good idea to schedule a professional inspection of your heating systems.

1. Clean your gutters and downspouts. Cover them with mesh guards to keep debris from building up over the winter.
2. Seal any gaps or cracks around all your windows and doors. This is easily the most cost-effective way to minimize your heating bill.
3. Replace all screen doors with storm doors. Do the same with your windows.
4. Inspect your roof for damaged shingles, corroded flashing or leaky vents. Make sure to do this before the snow falls.
5. Drain and winterize outdoor faucets and irrigation systems. Close any shut-off valves for outdoor faucets or secure it with a Styrofoam faucet cover. Remove any attached hoses and store them away for winter.
6. Prep your outdoor space for winter. Trim overgrown branches, bring outdoor furniture inside, aerate and fertilize the lawn, ensure rain drains are sloping away from your home and not damaging your foundation.
7. Clean or replace your furnace filter. Clogged filters make it harder to regulate the temperature in your home. You can clean your filter once before you should replace it.
8. Get your heating system professionally inspected. Book in early fall before the technicians get too booked up.
9. If you have a fireplace, get your chimney professionally cleaned. Even if you don’t use your fireplace very often, it is a fire risk and debris can build up inside the chimney.
10. If you have a gas-fired heater, have a professional perform a routine service check. An improperly maintained heater can spew poisons into the air of your home, so check your heater regularly.

Winter is notoriously hard on our homes, but by preparing your house before the cold weather sets in, you can prevent unexpected surprises and save money during those freezing, dark months.