Once fall rolls in, you need to start making your home ready for the bitter winter’s frigid assault. Though winterizing

1. 5 Ways to Prepare Your Home for Winter

2. Once fall rolls in, you need to start making your home ready for the bitter winter’s frigid assault. Though winterizing your home doesn’t sound as exciting as enjoying the autumn foliage, visiting the pumpkin patch, or picking apples, you have to prioritize it before the snow starts falling. You can’t dilly-dally because harsh winter elements can do a lot of home damage. As the famous adage goes: prevention is better than cure. No one wants to feel the winter chill creeping inside. With this 5 winter prepping ideas, you can enjoy your abode even when the temperature drops:  

4. Attic Insulation Failure to beef up your attic insulation will let the cold seep in and cause a spike in your energy bills. Have professionals come in and check if you need to replace your existing ones. Good insulation choices are fibreglass or mineral wool. It would help if you also sealed any existing gaps or cracks. Noteworthy, neglected attics become the winter home of birds and squirrels. They will cause damage and potential health hazards. For best results, trim tree branches to ensure they don’t lead to your roof or attic windows. It is an excellent idea to place a screen behind the gable vents to deter pesky critters. Do take an exterior visual inspection of your roof and attic windows to verify that there are no holes or crevices that will allow birds and the chilly air to creep in. 

5. Protect Your Pipes Frozen pipes can cause you a lot of money! If you have a pool, make sure that you close and prep it properly for the winter. Check to see if there are any issues so you can call a professional in case there are problems that should be nipped in the bud. You also have to close down your sprinklers properly. You need to shut down the line for the whole winter season. Do have the lines blown out to ensure there’s no water left inside. The same goes for your exterior water faucet. Shut off its valve and drain the line. When water freezes, it will expand, causing damages to your pipes and cracks in the seals

6. Test-Run Your Heating System It is always prudent to test-run your heating before the bitter cold comes. Most HVAC’s last a good 15 years, but this depends on how you maintain it. It could be a lot shorter than that! The fall season is the perfect time to maintain your HVAC. You have to change the filters at the very least. If it is a very old system, have a professional come in to take a look. Ensuring that the heat works when you need it will save your family from any hassles. This is best done while the temp is still moderate and pleasant during the fall rather than waiting to see your furnace doesn’t work in the thick of winter.