How to Prepare Your Home for the Winter

In the words of one of television’s greatest short-lived political prisoners, “Winter is coming.” Believe it or not, despite the chilly days and rogue flurries here and there, it’s still Fall until next Tuesday, December 21st!  Holidays usually bring guests and cold weather, and there’s no worse time to find out your heater’s out than when it’s 20° outside and your mother-in-law’s pulling up in the driveway for an extended stay. So we’ve put together some maintenance tips for you to check out before winter hits, so that you can panic less about steep repair costs and focus on that last-minute gift shopping.

Shut off and drain outdoor faucets

This tip is one that gets passed around every year, especially to new homeowners, but is usually quickly forgotten. Unfortunately, it can also cause devastating damage to your home if overlooked - when faucets and pipes are left undrained during freezing temperatures, the water  inside the pipes expands as it freeze, which can damage, crack, or even rupture the pipes, leading to home flooding. Before the weather really starts to get cold, go to every outdoor faucet around your property and shut them off completely. Be sure to allow them to drain, too. If turning them off for the season isn’t an option, consider letting a faucet run at a constant drip - this allows the water to keep moving. The American Red Cross also recommends not lowering your thermostat below 55° when you leave your home.

Check all winter appliances to make sure they work properly

Run your snowblower for a couple of minutes, check your trusty snow shovel for any damage, power up your generator and have it serviced, change the filters in your heater, and make sure your thermostat and water heater are running properly. Be sure to check all these items asap - you don’t want to wait until your house is full of family for a week to find out your water heater isn’t working as it should be. Catch potential issues now, so that you don’t find yourself stuck later.

Stock up!

Of course, it’s always a good idea to stock up on things like bottled water, canned goods, batteries, medicine, and a first aid kit, regardless of the season. But if you don’t remember the last time you replenished or refreshed your supplies, head to the store now instead of waiting for the next big snowstorm. That way, you don’t have to worry about going out in dangerous weather, and you won’t have to worry about panicked procrastinators emptying the shelves before you get there. If you have a backup generator for your home, be sure you have a good backup supply of fuel and motor oil. Buy ice melt asap, because it’s impossible to find whenever there’s an impeding ice/snow forecast. Fireplace owners should also be sure to also put together a nice, tall pile of firewood (remember to keep the stack away from doors and at least a couple inches away from structures to prevent pests from getting in).

Plan Ahead

If you know you won’t want or be able to shovel your own driveway, find a trusty, dependable person who can commit to shoveling it for you whenever it snows - the most ideal person would be a neighbor’s teenager looking to make a few extra bucks! If you have elderly neighbors, friends, or family nearby, come up with a plan together for how they will get their driveways salted and shoveled, if/when they’d need groceries or medicine together, who to call in emergencies, etc. Be sure to also check in with them throughout the winter.

If you’re looking for more info on what else you can do to avert a chilly and expensive disaster this winter, check out this great Home Maintenance Checklist from the New York Times - bonus fun: it has a section for every season!