3 Tips On How To Winterize Your Home

Whether you are a new homeowner, thinking of buying a home in Keswick Ontario or anywhere else, or have been in your home for years, you should know the 3 most important tips about getting your home ready for winter.  As the temperatures start to fall, your home will require maintenance to keep it in A-1 shape through the winter.

There is only one state in the United States where the temperatures have never dipped below zero. Hawaii.  In Canada, all of the Provinces will dip below zero.

Ontario Home Inspection Services Keswick Ontario recommends these 3 tips:

1) Get the Fireplace and Chimney Ready

• Cap or screen the top of the chimney to keep out vermin and birds.
• Have your chimney cleaned and inspected.
• Store firewood in a dry place away from the exterior of your home.
• Ensure the fireplace damper opens and closes.
• Check the mortar between bricks and tuck-point, if necessary or call a professional bricklayer to assist.

2) Inspect the Exterior, Doors, and Windows

• Inspect the exterior for crevice cracks and exposed entry points around pipes and seal them.
• Use weatherstripping around doors to prevent cold air from entering the home and caulk all windows.
• Replace cracked glass in windows and, if you end up replacing the entire window, prime and paint exposed wood.
• If your home has a basement, consider protecting its window wells by covering them with plastic shields.
• Replace any summer screens with glass replacements from storage. If you have storm windows, install them.

3) Inspect Roof, Gutters & Downspouts

• If your weather temperatures fall below 32 degrees in the winter, adding extra insulation to the attic will prevent warm air from creeping to your roof and causing ice dams.
• Check flashing around the chimney and along the roof edges to ensure water cannot enter the home.  Caulk if necessary.
• Replace worn roof shingles or tiles.  Hire a roofing specialist if necessary.
• Clean out the gutters and use a hose to spray water down the downspouts to clear away debris.
• Install leaf guards on the gutters or extensions on the downspouts to direct water away from the home.

Ontario Home Inspection Services recommends this additional article on winterizing your home in Ontario.