Winter is coming! 5 ways to prepare your home for winter

May has come, and that means we only have a month left until winter finally hits us! As our lifestyles change from season to season, so should our homes! With colder weather almost upon us, it’s important to start thinking about how to protect our homes from the cold.

Here’s 5 ways to prepare your home for winter.

1. Check your heating system

Whether you’re using a heat pump, oil heater, or traditional wooden fireplace - it’s a good idea to check that they’re all up and running. Nothing’s worse than your heating system breaking down in the middle of winter - leaving you shivering at night, and paying for emergency repairs. So make sure it’s in working order as the cold weather sets in!

2. Check your insulation

One of the biggest culprits of heat loss is poor insulation. If your home is poorly insulated, the heat within your home can easily escape through your walls, floors and roof. You can either check your insulation yourself, or get an insulation provider to check it for you. Having good quality insulation can help you save a ton on energy bills - especially in winter!

3. Seal up any leaks or holes

Before winter rolls around, check your home for any leaks or holes. Gaps in window seals, pipes, and other open spaces can cause major heat loss. So go around your home and check all your potential leak points and seal them off. You can do this with caulking or draft blockers to reduce the amount of warmth that leaks out of your home.

4. Clean out your gutters

Clean out any debris or leaves stuck in your gutter to avoid any overflow during winter time. When gutters back up, it causes it to overflow, resulting in water running down your home, and speeding up the deterioration of your exterior walls. It can also lead to deterioration of your foundation and water infiltration that can create all kinds of other problems within your home.

5. Cover cold floors with rugs

Find that your hard floors are too cold during winter? Hardwood floors are not only chilly underfoot in winter; they don't help hold in any heat, so unless you have underfloor heating, it's time to invest in a rug or two. Your feet will thank you for it!

Want some more home tips? Head to The Summit Homes Blog for more!

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