Cold weather’s approaching, and the last thing you want is to wake up and find you’ve got frost on the inside of all of your windows. Icy floors aren’t fun to walk across, and when a cold draft sneaks in, your energy costs skyrocket as you try to keep the house warm. Take a few steps before the temperatures really drop and winter-prep your home.
Insulate the Gaps
A spray-foam insulation, available at most hardware or home improvement stores, can fill in the small gaps that go unnoticed in temperate climates. Inspect your home’s exterior and look especially at water pipes and window frames. Use the spray-foam insulation to fill in those gaps and stop small air leaks. Use waterproof caulk on the roof around any plumbing pipes or vents.
Do you have double-pane or storm windows? If that’s too much of an expense for you to install this year, a window shrink-wrap kit can help block drafts and keep the heat inside. Apply it to every window in your home for the best results.
Remember Your Furnace
Your water heater and furnace need attention, too! Most water heaters are located outside of your home, accessible through a door in the paneling. Wrap an insulation blanket around the water heater itself, and use heat tape on the water pipes to prevent freezing.
The furnace is what will be supplying your heat throughout the winter. Make sure do perform or schedule a routine maintenance check on it before you have to turn it on to combat the cold. Clean filters and the area surrounding the heater; you don’t want to risk a fire in the middle of the winter!
Keep Yourself Snug and Safe
Electric space heaters are wonderful for boosting the temperature in individual rooms, but remember that they can short out or overheat. Be conscious of fire hazards while you’re staying warm this winter, and enjoy the lower energy costs and greater warmth of a winterized modular home!
