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How to Winterize your House: A 20-Point Checklist

Protect Your Home: How to Safeguard Against Winter Damage

Winter is the most challenging season for residential homes. Outside of storms and hurricanes, the freezing cold and unrelenting pileup of snow negatively impact the house’s structural components, furniture, and appliances.

Winter storms accounted for $1 billion in insured losses for the whole of 2020. For the first half of 2021, it ballooned to a record $15 billion, due in large part to the severe winter that affected large parts of the US in February.

How Winter Can Damage Your Home


Home suffering winter damage with snow and ice
Effects of winter on residential homes

Low Temperatures

Cold temperatures can freeze the pipes, leading to leaks, bursting, or the formation of mold and mildew.

Low Humidity

The dry, stale air from indoor heating can lower humidity, damaging wood. This can range from cracks in furniture and shelves to structural damage in wooden parts of the house.

Wind

Strong winds can snap off branches or even entire trees, which may fall on the roof or parts of the house. Additionally, wind can blow leaves and yard debris into the gutters, leading to clogged downspouts.

Snow

Accumulated snow can cause structural damage to the roof, eaves, and yard landscape. When it melts, it can also cause localized flooding, leading to basement leaks.

Ice

Ice can cause fractures in the building foundation. Water in the soil beneath the house can freeze and expand, producing upward pressure on the foundation that results in cracked walls, floors, and ceilings.

How to Winterize Your House

External Portion

  • Inspect the Roof: Check the shingles for damaged or missing areas.
  • Gutter Check: Clear the gutters, downspouts, and drains to prepare them for ice and melted snow. This helps prevent ice dams from forming.
  • Bulb Change: Ensure outdoor lights are functioning, especially front yard, door, and back lights. Avoid changing bulbs in harsh winter conditions.
  • Outdoor Faucets Prep: Remove all attachments to outdoor faucets to prevent freezing on the metal.
  • Install Storm Windows: Adding storm windows or doors provides an extra layer of protection from the elements, helps retain warmth, and minimizes heat loss.
  • Foundation Check: Walk around and inspect the foundation for cracks, holes, or openings. These can compromise the home’s integrity when ice or water seeps through and may attract pests.

Yard

  • Perimeter Trimming: Clear areas surrounding the roof and walls of overhanging branches and foliage to prevent substantial damage from falling debris.
  • Ground Clearing: After trimming high branches, clear low-lying foliage, especially around HVAC units, exhaust vents, basement windows, and meters.
  • Water Check: Blow out in-ground sprinklers and drain any remaining water to prevent freezing and bursting.
  • Stow Outdoor Furniture: Keep upholstered chairs clear of water. For wooden pieces like teak tables and chairs, store them in a location with adequate humidity to prevent wood damage.
  • Firewood Placement: Store firewood at least 30 feet away from the house to avoid fire hazards and keep wood-boring pests at bay.

Interior Living Spaces

  • Furniture Placement: Ensure appliances and furniture do not block inlets and vents to maintain heater efficiency and extend their operating life.
  • Maintain Humidity: The Mayo Clinic recommends keeping humidity levels between 30-50% for comfort and health. Invest in a humidifier or use indoor plants to maintain proper humidity.
  • Increase Moisture with Steam: Let steam permeate the house through stovetop cooking, hot showers, or by leaving pots of hot water in living areas.
  • Reverse Ceiling Fans: Reverse fan blades so that the fan pushes warm air downwards, reducing winter heating costs.

Heat

  • Furnace Check: Ensure your furnace and heaters are functioning properly before heavy use.
  • Fireplace Cleaning: Clean fireplaces well in advance, especially wood-burning ones. Hire a chimney sweep and refer to our fireplace cleaning guide for traditional, gas, or electric fireplaces.
  • Water Heaters: Clean your hot water heaters, whether storage or tankless. Consider investing in a hot water recirculation system before temperatures drop.
  • Air Seal Check: Heaters are ineffective if warmth seeps out. Follow the Department of Energy’s practical guide to air sealing and check your home for air leaks.
  • Insulation: To lower heating costs and improve energy efficiency, ensure your insulation is up-to-date. Different insulation types have varying life expectancies, so know when it’s time to replace them.

Mickey Luongo

Mickey is the resident heating and air conditioning expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry.

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