As temperatures drop, it’s time to make sure your home is ready for the challenges winter brings. With a few proactive steps, you can keep your home safe, cozy, and energy-efficient all season long. Here are ten essential tips to help you prepare for winter, along with the risks and potential costs of skipping them—and when to consider calling in a professional.
1. Inspect Your Roof and Attic
Why it Matters: Winter storms can reveal and worsen any weaknesses in your roof. Loose, damaged, or missing shingles can lead to leaks, allowing water to seep into your attic and home.
Risks of Skipping: Without inspection and repair, leaks can lead to structural damage, mold growth, and even compromise the integrity of your roof.
What You Can Do: Homeowners can do a visual inspection from the ground, looking for missing or damaged shingles and any visible signs of damage. Check your attic for leaks or areas where light is visible.
When to Call a Professional: If you notice significant roof damage, leaks, or if it’s difficult to inspect safely, call a professional roofer for a full assessment and any needed repairs.
Potential Cost: Roof repairs can range from $500 to $1,500, while replacing a severely damaged roof may cost $5,000–$30,000. Mold remediation alone could add thousands to this cost.
2. Seal Windows and Doors
Why it Matters: Drafts around windows and doors let warm air escape, causing your heating system to work harder to keep your home comfortable. Sealing gaps saves energy and keeps your home warmer.
Risks of Skipping: Ignoring drafts can lead to higher energy bills, uneven heating, and an overworked heating system, which may result in costly repairs or early replacement.
What You Can Do: Apply caulking around windows and weatherstripping around doors to seal any visible gaps. This is an easy DIY task that requires basic tools and materials.
When to Call a Professional: If drafts persist or you’re uncertain about where the leaks are, a professional energy audit can help pinpoint hard-to-find gaps and insulation issues.
Potential Cost: Simple weatherstripping costs as little as $50–$150, while high heating bills could cost hundreds more over the season. Replacing an overworked furnace can cost $3,000–$14,000.
3. Clean and Check Gutters
Why it Matters: Clogged gutters can trap water, leading to ice dams that prevent proper drainage. When water freezes and expands, it can damage your roof, walls, and foundation.
Risks of Skipping: Ice dams and water buildup can cause significant water damage, leading to leaks, structural damage, and mold growth within walls.
What You Can Do: Use a ladder to clear leaves and debris from gutters. If you have gutter guards, clean these as well to allow for proper drainage.
When to Call a Professional: If your gutters are hard to reach, or if you have multiple stories, a professional gutter cleaning service can ensure all debris is removed safely.
Potential Cost: Gutter cleaning averages $100–$250, but water damage repairs can range from $1,000 to $10,000. Mold remediation alone can add thousands in costs.
4. Add or Upgrade Insulation
Why it Matters: Insufficient insulation allows heat to escape, forcing your heating system to run more frequently and raising your energy costs.
Risks of Skipping: Poor insulation makes it harder to keep your home warm, driving up energy bills and adding unnecessary wear to your heating system.
What You Can Do: You can check for insulation gaps in your attic and install simple insulation panels or rolls to fill minor gaps.
When to Call a Professional: For a thorough inspection or if you need insulation added to walls or crawl spaces, call an insulation specialist to ensure it’s done correctly.
Potential Cost: Adding insulation costs between $1,500 and $4,000 for an attic, while increased energy costs can add hundreds over the winter. Overworked heating systems may need repair or replacement, which can cost $3,000–$14,000.
5. Service Your Heating System
Why it Matters: Regular maintenance keeps your heating system running safely and efficiently, reducing the risk of breakdowns and extending its lifespan.
Risks of Skipping: A poorly maintained system is prone to failure during peak use. It may also increase the risk of carbon monoxide leaks, which can be hazardous.
What You Can Do: Replace your furnace’s air filter regularly and check for any strange noises or irregularities.
When to Call a Professional: Schedule an annual maintenance check with a professional to inspect, clean, and tune up your heating system for peak efficiency and safety.
Potential Cost: A heating system service typically costs $80–$200. Emergency repairs can cost $300–$500, while replacing a failed system can run $3,000–$14,000.
6. Prepare Exterior Faucets and Pipes
Why it Matters: Frozen pipes can burst, causing water damage and requiring expensive repairs. Properly preparing pipes and faucets can prevent this issue.
Risks of Skipping: Burst pipes can lead to flooding, water damage, and potential mold issues in walls and ceilings.
What You Can Do: Drain garden hoses and shut off water to exterior faucets. Use pipe insulation or foam covers for any exposed pipes.
When to Call a Professional: If you have pipes in uninsulated areas or aren’t comfortable with winterizing them yourself, call a plumber to ensure they’re properly protected.
Potential Cost: Draining hoses is free, and pipe insulation costs around $50–$100. Repairs for burst pipes and water damage can easily exceed $1,000–$10,000, depending on the extent.
7. Trim Trees and Shrubs Near the House
Why it Matters: Heavy snow and ice can weigh down branches, causing them to break and potentially damage your roof, siding, or windows.
Risks of Skipping: Falling branches can cause significant structural damage, including broken windows and roof damage.
What You Can Do: Trim small branches near the house that could potentially fall under the weight of snow or ice.
When to Call a Professional: For larger branches, high limbs, or any tree near power lines, call a professional tree service for safe trimming.
Potential Cost: Tree trimming typically costs $200–$500, while repairing damage from fallen branches can cost $1,000–$6,000 or more.
8. Reverse Ceiling Fans
Why it Matters: Changing your fan’s rotation to clockwise pushes warm air down, making your home feel warmer and allowing you to lower your thermostat.
Risks of Skipping: Ignoring this step can make it harder to keep your home evenly warm, which may lead to higher energy costs as your heating system works harder.
What You Can Do: Flip the switch on your ceiling fans to rotate them clockwise for winter. This helps to distribute warm air more effectively.
When to Call a Professional: Most homeowners can do this easily, but if you have high or hard-to-reach fans, consider calling an electrician for help.
Potential Cost: This change is free and can save up to 10% on heating bills each month, while ignoring it may cost extra in heating expenses.
9. Test Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors
Why it Matters: Heating systems and fireplaces can increase the risk of carbon monoxide exposure. Properly functioning detectors are essential for family safety.
Risks of Skipping: Failing to test or replace detector batteries could leave your household vulnerable to undetected smoke or carbon monoxide, which can be life-threatening.
What You Can Do: Replace batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and test each device to ensure they’re working.
When to Call a Professional: If you need assistance installing or testing detectors, or if you want hardwired detectors, a licensed electrician can help.
Potential Cost: Batteries cost around $5–$10, while new detectors cost about $20–$50 each. Medical bills or emergency response costs from exposure could be significant.
10. Protect Outdoor Furniture and Equipment
Why it Matters: Snow, ice, and cold temperatures can damage outdoor furniture, grills, and lawn equipment, shortening their lifespan.
Risks of Skipping: Leaving these items exposed to the elements can lead to rust, cracking, and fading, making them unusable by spring.
What You Can Do: Cover or store outdoor furniture, grills, and lawn equipment to shield them from snow, ice, and cold temperatures.
When to Call a Professional: For larger items or complex storage solutions, consider hiring help to properly protect and store items.
Potential Cost: Covers cost about $20–$50, while replacing furniture or equipment damaged by winter weather could cost hundreds or even thousands.
Winter-Ready and Worry-Free
Preparing your home for winter doesn’t have to be overwhelming. By tackling these ten tips, you’ll create a safe, warm, and efficient home that’s ready for the season.
Need a Professional Eye? We’re Here to Help!
As winter approaches, it’s essential to make sure your roof, windows, gutters, and siding are in top shape to handle the elements. Aura Home Exteriors offers comprehensive inspections and expert advice on all your home’s exterior needs. Whether it’s a minor repair or a full replacement, we’re here to provide trustworthy service so you can head into winter with peace of mind.
Reach out to us today to schedule a free inspection and learn more about how we can help keep your home secure, energy-efficient, and protected from winter weather.
Stay warm and enjoy the season!
The Aura Home Exteriors Team
(732) 851-8028
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