Time to Winterize – Secure the Outside

October 18, 2010

There are all kinds of things that need to be done to get ready for winter, many things you can assign to your older children.

Making sure that the house is ready for winter can make you more comfortable and save you money in the end.

Here are a few suggestions:

• Furnace Inspection – Have your furnace inspected to make sure it is running properly. You don’t want that first cold snap to prove that it’s not.

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  Change all air filters.

• If you have a fireplace get the pipes/chimney cleaned before you have to use it. The last thing you want is to call the fire department and have a house full of smoke, or worse.

• Check the exterior doors and windows; this is the number one way to loose heat.

• 
  Caulk windows.

• Replace weather stripping on doors.

• Check your roof for any loose shingles or potential problems, you don’t want to make repairs once that winter wind starts blowing or the freezing ice and snow start falling.

• 
  Clean out all gutters and downspouts.

• Inspect your foundation for any cracks that need to be filled, this will help keep the wind and rodents out.

• Install smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Put new batteries in all detectors.

• Prevent Plumbing Freezes

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