As winter approaches, it’s a smart idea to start preparing you home for the cold months ahead. Here in Camden, we may not usually experience the harshest of blizzards, but the weather still gets cold enough to make protecting our homes absolutely necessary. Here are a few ways to winterproof your home this year.
Cracks in and around windows and doors can allow a lot of heat to escape from your home. Thankfully, you have several options to deal with this. Caulking window gaps is one effective way to combat drafts. For doors, you can add weather strips to seal gaps between the door and its frame. Additionally, you may think about installing a storm door as an additional layer of protection from the outside elements.
Your home’s furnace has filters in it that become dirtier over time. The dust and dirt that collect inside can obstruct the functioning of the furnace and lower its efficiency. The blockage may also raise energy usage as the furnace tries to compensate. Avoid this by changing or cleaning the filter in the fall before the cold hits in full force. You might even consider having a professional look at your whole HVAC system to make sure the system doesn’t have any issues overall.
Although your main walls may have insulation already, there are several areas in the home—such as the garage and attic—where people often overlook cold protection. However, you should make sure these are fully insulated so that your home can better retain heat. You should also install insulation in the ceiling and walls of your basement. Doing so has the added benefit of keeping your basement dry because the insulation will help seal openings where water could enter during times of inclement weather.