• Skip to main content
  • Skip to header left navigation
  • Skip to header right navigation
  • Skip to after header navigation
  • Skip to site footer
  • Start Here
  • Money Pit Podcast
  • Leave a Review
The Money Pit house logo

The Money Pit

Home Improvement Tips & Podcasts

  • Media Kit
  • Affiliates
  • Ask a Question
  • Spaces
    • Outdoor Living
    • Kitchens
    • Bathrooms
    • Garages & Sheds
    • Basements & Crawlspaces
    • Home Exteriors
  • Reno/Repair
    • Air Conditioning
    • Windows
    • Floors
    • Roofs & Gutters
    • Insulation
    • Lighting & Wiring
  • Popular Topics
    • Storage & Organization
    • Painting & Decorating
    • Cleaning
    • Pests & Wildlife
    • Buying or Selling a Home
  • Features
    • Green Home
    • Pet Friendly
    • Kid Spaces
    • DIY
    • Quick Tips
  • Podcasts
    • The Money Pit Home Improvement Podcast
    • Money Pit Minute Podcast
    • Your Calls, Our Answers Podcast
    • Top Products Podcast
    • ProFiles Podcast
Man painting a white kitchen

How to Winterize Your Home

How to Winterize Your Home

Heating InsulationSaving EnergyDIY Green Home
FacebookTweetPinLinkedInEmail
by Tom Kraeutler Leave a Comment

Fall is the best time to tackle home improvement projects that can winterize your home by making it more comfortable and energy efficient for the winter season.

While most people make sure their cars are in good shape for the winter, many  don’t appreciate the value of the same type of maintenance for their home.

For the most part, a few easy fix-ups can lower your home’s energy needs and avoid big — and expensive — headaches down the line.  Here’s where to start:

Exterior walls:  Before winter’s frigid drafts sneak in, check all your windows and doors for loose caulk or deteriorated weather stripping. Repair or replace it.  Weather-stripping and caulk is inexpensive and easily found at your local hardware store.  While you’re there, look for electric outlet and switch gaskets.  These cost just pennies but do a good job of stopping drafts that sneak in around these “holes” in the exterior walls.

Heating systems:  Don’t wait for winter before having your heating system serviced. Make sure it’s cleaned, adjusted and checked for safe operation by a competent professional. After that, make sure to change filters regularly throughout the winter. Also, consider purchasing a “set-back” thermostat and use it.  This can save big heating bucks by automatically turning down the heat when no one is home or everyone is sleeping.

How to Winterize Your Home

Fireplaces:  Nothing beats a warm fire on a chilly night. But first step to winterize your fireplace is to make sure the fireplace is safe. Have the chimney checked and cleaned by a certified chimney sweep. Repeat this process for every cord of wood burned or at least once every other year.

Water heaters:  To make sure your water heater runs efficiently, have it wrapped with an insulating blanket. Also, if your heater is electric, save on heating bills by having a timer installed that heats water only when you need it. A timer can turn off the water heater in the middle of the night and bring it on again in plenty of time to heat the water for morning showers.

Attic insulation:  80% of your home’s heat escapes through the ceiling, and insulation is the key to cutting this energy loss. Try to shoot for an insulating value of R-19 to R-30 in the attic. (Every inch of insulation gives you a value of about 3 “R”. Six inches of fiberglass insulation is R-19.).  Also, winterize the attic hatch with weather-stripping to stop the home’s heated air from escaping to the attic.

Safety first:  Winter also marks the start of the fire season. Installing at least one smoke detector and one carbon monoxide detector per floor protects your family.  Also, be sure to pick up at least one fire extinguisher and mount it in an easily accessible place.  Extinguishers rated “A-B-C” will work for all types of fires.

Following these few fall maintenance tips will help to winterize your home and ensure and reward you with comfort and energy cost savings.

Heating InsulationSaving EnergyDIY Green Home

Related Posts

house, snow, roof

Winter Weather Means Soaring Heating Bills: Tips to Cut Heating Costs

fire extinguisher, fire prevention tips

Fire Prevention Tips Everyone Should Know

5 Fantastic Fall Fix-ups Your Home

The Money Pit Tips & Tricks text logo with lightbulb

Avoiding Home Fires and Carbon Monoxide: Winter Warnings from Cpsc

The Money Pit Tips & Tricks text logo with lightbulb

Apartment and House Insulation Tips: Heat It Up!

Gutter clogged with leaves

Why Fall is the Goldilocks Season of Home Improvement

Related Podcasts

The Money Pit Your Calls Our Answers Podcast Logo

Winterizing Steps for Your Home

The Money Pit Your Calls Our Answers Podcast Logo

Maximize Your Energy Savings at Home

The Money Pit Podcast

How to Hang a Flatscreen TV, Tips for Removing Snow From Your Car, and How to Keep Harsh Sunlight From Fading Carpets and Floors

The Money Pit Your Calls Our Answers Podcast Logo

Simple Solutions for Saving Energy

The Money Pit Podcast

Siding Options for Your Home, Laminate Flooring Update, How to Pick the Best Exterior Paint, and More

The Money Pit Podcast

Trace the History of Your Home, The History of the White House, Keeping Your Pets Safe in Winter and More

FacebookTweetPinLinkedInEmail

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Sidebar

Trending Posts

Get Ready for the Game with The Money Pit’s $1,000 Tailgate Treasures Sweepstakes!

Attic flooring added to increase storage space

How to Floor Your Attic for Storage Without Wrecking Your Roof

Best Garage Floor: Tiles, Mat or Paint?

Garage Heater Dyna-Glo 30,000 BTU Natural Gas Blue Flame Vent Free Wall Heater, White

Best Heaters for a Garage: Forced Air, Infrared or Portable?

How to Get Rid of Thousand-Leggers Without Getting Grossed Out

Ask Us Anything

Ask A Question

Favorite Posts

Attic flooring added to increase storage space

How to Floor Your Attic for Storage Without Wrecking Your Roof

How to Get Rid of Thousand-Leggers Without Getting Grossed Out

Best Garage Floor: Tiles, Mat or Paint?

Dryer vent on outside of building

Controlling Dryer Lint Outside | Video

Popular Podcasts

Repair Crumbling Cinder Block

Electric Meter

Service Entry Cable and Electric Meter: Who is responsible for repair?

dirt to use around house foundation

Type of Dirt to Use Around House Foundation

What Smells Like Burning Rubber in My Home?

Newsletter

Get weekly updates with the latest tips and tricks to save money in your home.

As Us Anything

Ask A Question

Social Media

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • LinkedIn
  • About
  • Media Kit
  • Partners
  • Posts
  • Endorsement Policy
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy & Solution
  • Radio Stations

Copyright © 2001–2023 · The Money Pit · All Rights Reserved · Powered by Mai Theme

Ask A Question