4 Simple Steps to Prepare Your Home for Winter

AD It Yourself4 Simple Steps to Prepare Your Home for WinterHot tips for cold weather

By Katherine McLaughlin

December 15, 2021

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Email

A cottage in the winter with overcast skies after a fresh snowfall.Photo: Getty Images

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Email

Most people don’t want to have to call Diana Rodriguez-Zaba. As the president of Service Master Restoration by Zaba, Rodriguez-Zaba has clients who are often experiencing some kind of interior disaster: Flooding, fire damage, mold infestations—the things most homeowners hope to never deal with. Living in Chicago, she’s all too familiar with cold winters. Due to the nature of her business, Rodriguez-Zaba is also aware of how these harsh conditions can cause damage that is much more severe than numb hands and toes.

A simple example: When the water in your pipes starts freezing, it expands. “A burst pipe can cause so much damage in a matter of minutes,” Rodriguez-Zaba says. The pressure from the expanding water can be too much for your plumbing, and before you know it, you’ve got an indoor pool exactly where you don’t want it. Rodriguez-Zaba adds, “If you do have a pipe burst, you’ll be lucky if it’s just one.”

Of course, it’s not only disasters that you’ll want to mitigate as winter rolls around. Keeping your house warm, electricity bills down, and outdoor appliances and furniture protected should also be top of mind when the thermostat drops. Whether you’re a snowbird flying south or hunkering down in your snow-capped town, consider this your pre-winter checklist to make sure your property stays in tip-top shape for the next few months.

Prep your winter supplies

Before the winter season even hits, it’s not a bad idea to do a quick shopping run for all of your cold-weather necessities. “Get a snow rake, get shovels, and buy a lot of salt and ice melters,” Rodriguez-Zaba says. “Just have it ready.”

Snow rakes are particularly helpful in preventing ice dams from forming around your roof. These pesky things can keep snow and water from draining off the roof and lead to moisture in your walls—mold and mildew’s favorite thing. As Rodriguez-Zaba notes, “It’s really important to invest in a snow rake.”

Inspect your home for problem points

Do a quick walk-through of your house to check for any immediate problem points you’ll want to repair before it gets cold. “If your windows are showing signs of condensation within the glass, you are most likely ready for an upgrade,” says Nicola Harrison, director of Bereco. Condensation inside the panes usually means the glass isn’t retaining heat, so it’s good to get these replaced before it gets too cold. “You could risk losing a lot of heat in your home that could also result in a rise of your energy bills,” she adds.

This is also a prime time to inspect your roof for any damage that should be addressed quickly. Mike Reedy, a contractor, roofer, and owner of Quality Built Exteriors, recommends starting with a simple visual scan. “With some binoculars, you can look and see if the caulk around the chimney looks good, if the flashing is lifted or pulled back, if there are missing shingles, or if there is any other visual damage,” Reedy says. You could also venture up to your attic and see if any light is coming in through the roof—a very solid indicator that you’ve got some kind of damage. Because it can be dangerous to be on a roof without proper training, it’s usually best to call in a professional to fix any of these major problems. If you do decide to go up there, “Make sure the ladder is really stable,” Reedy advises.

Anthony Carrino, a home designer, developer, host of HGTV’s Kitchen Cousins, and a Trane Residential partner, recommends checking your heater around this time too. “Waiting until it gets cold to turn on your heat is a mistake,” he says. “It’s like stretching before you run, you want to give the system a little bit of time to go from cooling into heating.” This also gives you time to recognize a potential problem before you’re in desperate need of warm air.

If you’re planning on leaving town for the winter, still turn on your heating. “You don’t want to ever shut your heat down,” Carrino says. “Heat in your home is what’s going to keep your pipes from freezing.” While you’re at it, change your HVAC filter too. “I like to recommend doing it with the change of every season,” he says. “It’s not usually top of mind, even though it should be because we’re breathing that air.”

Seal up your home

If you’ve already determined that you don’t need new windows, you should still check for drafts. Carrino suggests taking a match and slowly tracing it around the edges of your windows. “You’ll see a flicker if you’ve got big drafts,” he explains.

Harrison also points out how “many people may not be aware that adjusting your windows is possible.” As she further explains, most windows supplied in the last 15 years with multi-point locking will have adjustments where you can increase the weather seal compression. “Look for spaces for Allen keys in the locking bolt plates,” she says.

If this isn’t a part of your windows, you’ve got a few other options for solving the problem. According to Carrino, the simplest solution is bubble wrap. “You just take a spray bottle, mist one side with water, and that little bit of water will help the bubble wrap stick to your windows and insulate them.”

Alternatively, you could carefully remove the trim around your windows and apply some expanding insulation foam before adding the trim back. The same process could be done around your doors, and it might also help to purchase a few draft stoppers to keep air from coming in through the bottom.

This is also the perfect time to insulate the plumbing around your home. As Rodriguez-Zaba says, “It’s one of the best things to do.” You’ll want to get pipe insulation at a hardware store—often it looks like pool noodles—and cut them to size to fit around the plumbing in your house. If you plan on leaving your home for the entire season, Rodriguez-Zaba says draining your pipes can also provide an extra level of protection so they don’t burst while you’re away.

While insulating your pipes, make a note of where your water shut-off is. If you do have an issue, you’ll want to be able to turn off the water as quickly as possible.

Don’t forget the yard

Now that your home is in good shape for the winter, don’t forget to give the outside of your house some attention too. “Make sure you clear out all your gutters,” Rodriguez-Zaba says. “It’s also really good to take the hose out.” You’ll want to disconnect it from the faucets before draining and storing it in the garage. You can protect the spigots with insulated outdoor covers.

It’s also smart to prune tree branches to minimize the risk of them falling on your roof during a winter storm. “Pruning tree branches is best done with an extension pole with a hand saw attachment,” John Bodrozic, cofounder of Home Zada, explains. Bigger branches or those that are higher up may require professional service.

Finish by showing your outdoor furniture and appliances some love. “Generally these things are built like cars,” Metin Ozkuzey, president of Designer Appliances, says of outdoor kitchen equipment. “Nothing will happen to them if you leave them in the snow and rain.” Still, he recommends getting covers just so you don’t have any issues with the ignitions. For higher-end appliances, go for a cover and a tarp or bring them into a garage or shed for an extra safety net.

ExploreAD It Yourself