5 Ways to Winterize Your Home

Winter is COMING! Or is already here in different parts of the country.

With the holidays approaching, the last thing folks want to spend money on is preparing their homes for the winter – especially if you need to be in a budget. Even if you live in SW Florida and the super cold weather or snow won’t really affect you, you can still benefit from these tips or share with your colder climate living friends!

There are plenty of winterizing tasks that won’t cost you an arm-or-a-leg and are easy enough to do yourself. A small investment of money & your time will go a long way to protecting your home from the elements.

Here are five affordable and simple things you can do to winterize your home on a budget!

When was the last time you gave your water heater some love?

Upkeeping the water heater often gets overlooked. So, start with flushing your water heater to remove any sediment from the bottom of the tank to improve its efficiency. You might want to consider wrapping it in a blanket. Yes, it sounds silly, but it is a thing and yes, it does make a difference! Doing so could help the tank retain 25-40% more heat which could cut your bill by 9%! You could even purchase a pre-cut blanket or jacket on Amazon or your local hardware store and only costs about $20!

Say goodbye to draftiness by fixing air leaks around windows and doors.

A great source of information is available on the Energy.gov website. According to Energy.gov, sealing air leaks can help you use 5 – 10% less energy. Re-caulk your windows & doors where you feel cool air coming from. You could add extra insulation by taping bubble wrap (the big bubble kind) against the inside of windowpanes.

For doors, you can purchase foam insulation tape for roughly $4 a roll and you must make sure to get the right size for your doors. Another affordable fix is to get door snakes for exterior, basement, garage, and attic doors. A foam one that goes under your door is a game-changer for older homes. You could get these as low as $10/piece!

Reverse your ceiling fans.

Grab a ladder or a step stool and reverse the direction your ceiling fan rotates. Most ceiling fans have a setting that lets the fans turn clockwise or counterclockwise. In the summer months, your fan should be rotating counterclockwise but in the colder months, your fan should be set to turn clockwise. This will push the warm air that’s gathered at the ceiling (remember, heat rises) back down into the room.

Let’s talk about pipes.

Any unheated interior spaces like your attic, basement, or garage are the most at-risk for frozen pipes. Frozen pipes are the most common winter problems that happen to homes so try to insulate all your exposed pipes with pipe insulation. This could save you thousands of dollars and the stress of frozen, broken pipes!

Don’t forget about the outside!

You don’t want to forget about those areas around faucets, vents, etc. that connect to the inside of your home from the outside. These areas should be fully filled in with spray foam insulation. So, if there is a hole anywhere in this, you need to fill it – no matter how small the hole is. Not only will filling these holes help keep your house insulated but will also keep bugs and other critters from getting into your space! You can purchase a can of spray foam gap filler for under $10!

Truth is, winterizing your home could cost you as little as $100 but can go a LONG way to making your home feel warm while spending less on energy. It’s a win-win!