This might sound like a simple question, and if you don’t live in a northern state during the wintertime, it is one. Unfortunately, for many people living in colder climates every year, this can be quite difficult.
For those who are not suffering from a mild case of cabin fever yet, let’s take a look at what you should know to winterize your home.
A good first step is to determine whether your home needs winterizing or if it’s cosmetic. If it’s cosmetic then consider sealing off cracks with caulk or using stucco for an easy faux wrap-around treatment.
The most obvious place to winterize it is your attic or basement. You will want to make sure that any pipes, wiring, and ductwork are in good working order before taking any drastic measures.
If you are experiencing drafts through your vents or you notice signs of moisture building up in your ceiling, it may be time for you to call a professional who can assess and then winterize the area.
If you have a basement and you are concerned about water damage, there are also some things that you can do for yourself as well. Since most basements will be covered in either stone or cement, a coating of drywall would prevent most water damage.
If your basement isn’t covered with anything more than drywall, you can still winterize the area. You could buy some plastic sheets to cover the floor and the walls. This will cause all the moisture to be trapped underneath the plastic.
You can then focus on winterizing any essentials that may leak or freeze causing damage should they melt or break because of the moisture from below and outside of your basement walls.
If you have a wall oven with the floor and you are worried about it freezing, you can fill the crack with drywall compound or plaster.
This will create a very effective barrier to keep out any moisture that may be seeping in. If you’re feeling particularly ambitious, plastic sheets can be used as well.
This would allow any moisture that is leaking into your basement to freeze inside the plastic protection. Once the winter comes around and your basement begins to warm up again, the plastic can be removed and reused for future seasons.
Reasons for winterizing your home
In most cases, winterizing is only recommended if the home is causing damage to its structure or is experiencing moisture issues.
If there is a problem with your pipes, you will want to take steps to protect them from freezing. If it’s not possible to do anything about them, then you will also want these measures in place.
Plumbing in your home can and will freeze during the winter season. This is especially in areas that experience severe colds. To prevent this from happening, you will want to winterize your plumbing.
You can do this by wrapping any pipes or ductwork with plastic to prevent them from freezing. If you are dealing with any water seeping in through your vents or leaks, then board up the area and fill it if possible.
If you have an attic, you should focus on winterizing. Consider cleaning any dust and other debris accumulated there over time. To prevent any damage from being done to the unit, you will want to wrap these lines up if possible.
Since your attic is subjected to extreme temperatures you can use spray foam insulation from the company that makes your furnace. This will protect the equipment from freezing and power outages. It also protects all the other electrical wires and pipes inside of it.
Tools and materials needed for winterizing your home
The materials that you will need for this project are very simple to get. You will want to start with a furnace repair kit and some insulation.
If you plan on winterizing any leaks that you may have in your home, then you will also want to buy caulk or sealant.
If you want to get some plastic sheeting that you can use to protect your floors and walls, there are plenty of places where you can buy them.
You can find plastic covering in all shapes, sizes, and color options.
Before winterizing any pipes, always make sure they are covered in plastic wrap or caulk as well as a basin of water. It prevents any freeze-ups from taking place during the winter season.
Then there is the question of how much of it how many do I need? The answer is very simple because one tube of sealant/caulk can cover a lot more than you would think.
Winterizing by using Smart technologies
Wintertime can be found to be a challenging time for the Smart House’s technology. This is where people prefer to have the best Smart Home Technology. This technology helps in a way that it can withstand winter time’s harsh weather conditions.
You first should make sure that your thermostat is well-winterized. This is because it may not be able to protect itself during cold weather if you do not adjust the settings.
The thermostats know the temperature inside and outside. They adjust themselves according to those temperatures to balance out the heat and coolness inside the house.