Winterizing Your Home and Your Vehicle
Winterizing Your Home
During winter, one of the top priorities is to keep the cold out and the warmth inside of your home. Insulating your home properly will not only keep you warm, but also will keep your heating costs to a minimum. Homes that are improperly insulated may cost homeowners 10% to 15% on the dollar. Good place to start is with your windows and doors. If you feel that significant draft is coming from your windows, you should consider replacing them. New window models are significantly more energy efficient. Yes, replacing windows might be costly. However, this home improvement will pay for itself in energy savings, within just a few months. If window replacement is not a possibility for you, consider installing clear sheets of plastic in your windows. That solution is inexpensive and relatively simple, but it will be effective in shielding you from cold and wind.
You should check your home for doors that lead to outdoors and have draft, especially on the bottom of the door. Doors that are poorly sealed are a major cause of heat loss in the average home. Metal or wooden draft stoppers can be purchased at almost any home improvement store. Stoppers can easily be glued or screwed to the bottom of doors. To seal the rest of the door, weather stripping can be used. Of course, if your budget allows, you should replace doors that have a large amount of draft. If you were to take all the draft points of all the doors that lead from your home to outside and put them all together, you would have a hole that is at least a foot in diameter.
Electrical outlets should also be insulated. Often ignored, outlets are a major escape for the heat in your home. If you put your hand in front of an outlet, it is usually noticeable if cold air is present. There is an easy solution. You can purchase foam gaskets that will easily fit behind an electrical outlet.
Heating duct system also needs to be inspected, when preparing for winter season. It is estimated that 25-40% increase in heating cost is observed when cracks, gaps, and disconnections are present in your duct system. If your home is more than 10 years old, you can be sure that your duct system needs attention. In relation to your duct system, the heating unit also needs to be inspected and maintained. Heating unit that functions properly is another key to staying warm and keeping your energy bills low, during winter. Cleaning, checking, and lubricating of your heating unit should be done on regular basis, by a certified professional. The filter in your heating unit should be replaced monthly. If your system was installed before 1977, chances are that it is only 50-60% energy efficient. If that is the case, you should seriously consider upgrading. Modern heating units reach 97% energy efficiency rating! Do not forget your attic, if you have one. Try to insulate the floor of your attic. As you know, warm air rises up. If you do not take care of your attic area, major part of the heat in your home will be wasted on heating up your attic.
Outside of your home should also receive special attention. You should see if the trees around your home have any dead branches. Dead branches, weighed down by snow and ice, can become deadly. Inspect handrails, steps, and banisters. Those need to be in excellent shape. True, they might be good enough to support your weight. But, are they strong enough to support heavy snow, ice, and your weight? Be extremely careful with wooden steps and decks. Wood can look good at the top, especially if you use water sealers and other hardwood treatments. However, do not forget to look underneath, where wood might have severe cracks or areas that are completely rotten.
Winterizing Your Car
Your home keeps you and your loved ones in safe environment. Of course, your car is responsible for taking you to work, so you can pay for that home. Just like the owners, automobiles do not like cold, snow, and whatever else is associated with those conditions. So, you should prepare your car for the winter season, because your well-being depends on your automobile.
First, you should consider the condition of your tires. Tires should be all-season or designed specially for snow. Compare the depth of the thread that your tires currently exhibit to the depth of when you have purchased them. Do not think that you can “sneak” another year on your current tires. Take a penny and insert into the thread, with Lincoln going head first. If you see the top of his head, it is definitely time to change tires.
Next, it is time to check up on your battery. If your car battery still has warranty, have it professionally tested. Also, make sure that the battery connections are clean and not corroded. Cleaning the battery terminals with water and soda works very well. If your battery is not under warranty, I strongly encourage you to purchase a new one.
Check your antifreeze, to see if you have the correct mixture. Again, I recommend that you visit your mechanic, if you have not changed your antifreeze for 3 years.
Check your break fluid, to make sure it is at the appropriate level. Break fluid containers usually have a mark at where the fluid should be. Fluid should be clear, not cloudy.
Check the manual of your vehicle for oil recommendations. Sometimes, different grades of oil are recommended for a winter season. Inspect your windshield wipers, to make sure they will function well in a snowstorm. It is also a good idea to do a Tuneup before the winter comes.
Do NOT forget to equip your vehicle with emergency gear. Items should include but not limited to: flares, gloves, boots, blankets, flashlight and extra batteries, small shovel. It is also recommended that you have some form of dry food in a vehicle. Stop by your local vitamin shop and pick up few energy bars.
When it comes to your house or your car, most importantly, use your common sense and pay attention to the small details. For example, find out what radio station constantly report the weather conditions for your area. So, keep warm, stay safe, and have great time during this winter season!
