With the cold weather beginning to take over the Atlanta area, now is the time to prepare your home for the winter. You’ve already unpacked your winter jackets and scarf and bought new gloves, but what have you done for your home? Is it ready to face the harsh weather of the Winter months?

If you keep up with maintenance around your house regularly, then you may only have a few touch ups to take care of. On the other hand, if you’ve put things off, now is the time to take care of them. It’s never too soon to start considering the various tasks that should be done.

Over the next few weeks it will be very important that you properly prepare your home for winter, and if you haven’t started yet or have no idea how to begin, here are some important tips to keep in mind:

Outside

• Inspect the exterior of your house including doors and windows for crevice cracks and seal them if you find any. Replace any cracked glass and switch out any window screens with glass or storm windows.
• Check chimney and attic vent openings for nests or other blockages, and make sure vents and attic fans are working properly.
• Add extra insulation to your attic. This is a more expensive option but will save you in the long run by preventing heat from escaping through the roof.
• Don’t forget to move potted plants to shelter. You can also trim trees and branches too close to the house and electrical wires.
• Seal driveway and walkway cracks in need
• Caulk around window and door glass and trim, and exterior trim
• Check gutters and clean them if needed
• Drain and shut off outdoor water faucets

Inside

• Have an HVAC professional inspect your furnace and clean ducts
• Have your chimney cleaned for soot and creosote and then have the top capped to keep animals out. Store firewood away from the exterior of your home.
• Check smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors to make sure they are working properly
• Make sure all vents are clean and working properly
• Clean and vacuum baseboard heaters, heating ducts and vents
• Check hot water heaters for leaks. In order to make the heaters more efficient you can wrap extra insulation around them. This will also protect from temperature related cracks.
• To make your Winter more pleasant you may want to consider getting a warm mist humidifier. This will increase the quality of air in your home as well as reduce the likelihood of catching colds

Make sure your home is ready to take on the cold months, so that you spend all of your time and energy enjoying the season instead of worrying about replacing a water heater or busted pipe.

*Photo Courtesy of: http://www.flickr.com/photos/wjarrettc/ / CC BY 2.0