​Source: HGTV Canada

Get Your Home Ready for Winter

Winter is almost here – avoid that “always cold” feeling, expensive hydro bills and headache damages with these easy winter-ready DIY methods. Learn how to help keep your house warm and toasty, how to save money on your hydro bill and how to avoid major damages, like burst pipes, as a result of freezing temps.

1. Clean the Gutters

After autumn, your gutters will be blocked with fallen leaves. Clean them out before winter come so that when it snows and rains, the eaves troughs will be able to drain water to prevent leaks. To clean them, put a ladder up and bring a plastic bucket and gloves to clean them out by hand. Then rinse the gutters with a hose to get rid of residual dirt.

2. Reseal the Windows

Windows often have drafts that let outside air in, and a result, spike up your hydro bill. An easy way to test if you have drafts is by lighting a candle and moving it around the window. Where it flickers, there’s a draft. To fix it, reseal the caulk around the windows to prevent cold air from getting in and dollars from getting out.

3. Clean the Garage

Many of us are guilty of using the garage as an extra storage room instead of parking our cars inside. Now is the perfect time to clean it out, so you can safely store your cars inside during the next snow storm or cold weather alert.

4. Install Storm Window

Cozy lanterns and winter landscape seen through the window.

5. Prep the Fireplace

Get the fireplace ready for a long winter ahead. If you’ll be using it a lot, get an annual inspection to ensure it will run smoothly throughout the winter. If you don’t plan on using it, seal it off to prevent cold air from getting through. Alternatively, if you don’t have a fireplace, consider getting an electric one to help heat up your home (and provide a cozy ambiance) during the winter.

6. Drain the Hose Pipes

Drain the hose pipes to prevent them from bursting in the freezing climate, resulting in a major renovation. Here’s how: turn off the water to the hose from the valve inside the house, then turn it on outside to let all the water drain out. It couldn’t be more simple!

7. Pack up the Patio Furniture

Clean your outdoor furniture using these tips before the winter, and store them in the garage during the off season to prevent them from getting extremely dirty under mounds of snow and dust. If there’s no room in your garage, cover them with tarp available at your local hardware store.

8. Prep the Furnace

Check to ensure your furnace is working well before the cold weather hits. Turn it on and make sure it fires up. You may notice a funny smell at first, but if it lasts a long time, call a professional to get it inspected.  In the winter, remember to check your filters monthly and change them when they get too dirty to ensure proper air flow throughout your home.

9. Automate the Thermostat

If your thermostat isn’t programmable, you can purchase one for under $35. Program the thermostat so that the furnace turns on to heat up the house every time it reaches a certain temperature. That way, you won’t have to continuously adjust the temperature – this will result in huge savings on your hydro bill.

10.  Block Drafts

Fix up drafts around your house before the temperature drops. Check areas like around the doors, recessed lighting, and your home’s exterior. Even small cracks outdoors will affect the temperature inside your home. Seal the leaks with weather resistant caulk, and install outlet gaskets to electrical wires and outlets that share your home’s outer walls