Preparing your home for winter is hard work – we can all agree with that. When those cold days arrive, we all want to snuggle by our radiators and wait for the winter to pass. But, what will you do if something goes wrong and you lose the luxury of staying in your warm home? When that happens, you’ll either move out temporarily until the problem is fixed or quickly learn how to survive in the cold. Since both of these options are pretty unfeasible, the best thing you can do for yourself (and for all other household members) is prepare your home for winter. The sooner you start the better! And, if you don’t know where to start – we will help you out. If you keep reading, you will learn 7 effective ways to prepare your home for winter and thus, ensure you stay warm in the coming months.
- Inspect Your Roof
The roof is what protects your house from the outside weather conditions. Thus, if you want to stay safe during winter, you should start by inspecting every nook and cranny of your roof (of course, do this only if you live in a NYC house). Check for draughts, molds, signs of condensation, etc. Pay special attention to water stains. If you see them, there is a good chance your roof is leaking.
Moreover, if possible, check the exterior side of your roof as well. There, you can see whether some shingles are missing or whether there is some damage to the gutters.
If you see any damage or leak, react quickly. Call a roofing expert to come and check things out! Waiting can only result in more problems – not only will the damage to the roof expand but you may also freeze.
- Insulate Your Attic
And, while you are up there, inspecting the roof, consider insulating your attic. If you live somewhere where winters are not that harsh, this may not be necessary. But, if you live somewhere where the winters are freezing, this is a must.
Yes, attic insulation can be a big project (especially financially), but, in the long run, it will save you a lot of money. Namely, attic insulation will make your entire home a lot warmer while also decreasing your electricity bills.
However, keep in mind that attic insulation is something that requires a lot of time, energy, and money. Thus, before you start, be sure you have what it takes to finish it. Moreover, another thing you should keep in mind is that if you live in an attic that needs to be insulated, you might need to move out temporarily as the materials used can be quite toxic. But, don’t worry, you can stay with your friends and keep all your belongings in some of NYC’s many storage units. If you need help with the latter, feel free to ask NYC Mini Storage for a piece of advice.
- Check Your Furnace
In NYC, the most conventional heating system is the one that uses furnaces. These come in all shapes and sizes as well as with all sorts of settings. But, for all of them, one thing is for sure – they need to be checked regularly.
In some cases, when checking, you just have to clean it and replace the old filters with the new ones. But, in other cases, you might need to call a furnace inspector and have it thoroughly serviced.
If possible, do all of this before winter arrives. When the temperatures drop, you will not be able to find that inspector anywhere in NYC. And, trust us, staying in a cold Big Apple home during winter is something you definitely don’t want to experience. So, pay attention to the weather forecast, and, as soon as you even the slightest drop in temperature, call your furnace guy.
- Clean Your Gutters
Again, something that applies only to those living in NYC houses – cleaning the gutters. Since NYC has all four seasons, you will probably experience a lot of foliage during the autumn season. Yes, this looks amazing – but it looks amazing only on and under the trees. If you see that foliage in your gutters, well, you will not be in for a treat.
Foliage and other debris can clog your gutters. And, when the temperatures go below 0′, all that dirt will freeze in your gutters and not allow water to go where it is supposed to. Thus, as soon as autumn is over, get your ladders, put on your garden gloves, and start taking all the dirt from your gutters out.
- Protect Your Pipes
What is outside of your home? It is probably two things – your car and your pipes. If you want to take care of your vehicle, just put it in car storage. This will keep it safe from all the weather disasters that typically happen in NYC during winter.
What about your pipes? Most NYC houses have these positioned outside of the house. If you don’t protect these during winter, they might burst and thus, cause you to lose water and spend a small fortune on buying new ones. Thus, save yourself from these troubles and protect your pipes. It is rather easy – just drain them from all the water (so that they don’t freeze), and insulate them with some cloth or foil.
- Install Weather Stripping
Older NYC homes (apartments especially) have problematic doors and windows. If you live in NYC, you know what we mean – you can feel the wind on the inside, right? This is usually because the rubber inside the windows is worn out and thus, it can’t keep the cold from coming inside.
Luckily, there is an easy and effective way for you to prepare your home for winter, that is, for you to keep the cold air on the outside and the warm on the inside. And, that way is to install weather stripping. This is the process of adding a strip or a tension seal on all your doors and windows. You can buy this at your local hardware store and install it yourself – and don’t worry, it will all be cheap and easy.
- Stock up on Winter Supplies
One of the last but certainly not the least important ways to prepare your home for winter is to stock up on winter supplies. You know how harsh and unpredictable NYC winters can be, so, don’t postpone this process. Thus, go to your local supermarket and buy all the winter ‘gadgets’ you are missing at home. Those are usually shovels, brooms, and salt for clearing the snow. Candles, lamps, matches, and lighters in case there is a power outage. Some extra cans of food and water bottles (as well as food for the pets if you have them) if the snow becomes too unbearable and you can’t go grocery shopping. And, a first aid kit just in case.
As you have seen, there are many effective ways you can prepare your home for winter, that is, effective ways to winterize your NYC home. So, what are you waiting for? The winter already started – thus, do all of the above as soon as possible so that you can enjoy the rest of your winter without worrying.
