As summer weather comes to an end, there are a few items that must be taken care of in order to winterize your home. Here is our simple checklist to prepare for winter and make sure your home is ready for a long, cold season.
- Check attic insulation. Use rubber gloves and a ruler to measure your attic’s insulation. Stick a ruler into the insulation until the bottom of the ruler touches the flooring under the insulation. Energy Star® recommends that most attics have 10 to 14 inches of insulation. Having a well-insulated attic is important when winterizing your home as it helps keep prevent heat from escaping through the roof. Fall is a great time to upgrade your attic insulation.
- Check windows and doors for drafts. Winter winds and snow storms can cause cold air to infiltrate your home. Caulking windows and doors is a very temporary solution to a big problem. Drafty windows and doors should be replaced to best seal your home.
- Check siding for cracks and gaps. Aside from leaks and air infiltration, these areas can be an entryway for unwanted pests like bugs and mice. Many of these critters look for a warm place to spend the winter and you want to be sure that place isn’t your home.
- Check basement windows. Many basements have small hopper or slider windows. As they age, the seals can break. When snow piles up against these windows, they can cause water to leak into your basement. These small windows are often overlooked when homeowners replace their windows but are critical for maintaining a dry basement.
- Check for tree branches hanging over roof lines. A tree branch that survived spring and summer may not be able to handle the weight of a few inches of snow. Contact a local tree removal contractor to have the branches removed, and contact a local roofing contractor to check for any damage that the branches may have caused to your roof.
If you need help to winterize your home, contact Emmons Roofing & Siding today.
