Looking for Cheap Ways to Prep Your Home for Winter? Try These Ideas!

Prepping your home for winter is important regardless of where you live but here in the south we’re having a much colder than normal winter so it’s even more important than normal to prep your home for the winter. In order to help you out we found this article with cheap ways to prepare your home for winter. We hope it helps!

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From the article:

Heating costs can throw a wrench into your winter budget ??? and the cold can make you cranky. But you can limit the discomfort by addressing the gaps, cracks and waste that drive up fuel costs. Such fixes are available at a lower price than you might imagine.

Run through this checklist of fixes to make your house cozier and your heating more affordable this year.

Install weatherstripping
Check your home???s exterior doors for cold air leaks. Do this from inside the house. The high-tech approach is to use a laser infrared thermal gun to detect cold drafts. The low-tech way is to move a lit candle around the door frame; the flame will blow toward you when there is a draft.

Seal a drafty door by installing foam or felt weatherstripping inside the door frame. Ask at your hardware store for the correct products and installation instructions.

Cost: $10 to $20 per package for most standard products.

Add attic insulation
Insulation keeps warm air inside in the winter and expensively cooled air inside in the summer.

???Typically, houses in warm-weather states should have an R-38 insulation in the attic, whereas houses in cold climates should have R-49,??? says This Old House, explaining how to install batting-type insulation.

Insulating an attic, basement or crawl space is moderately difficult, and beginners should hire a professional. If you do, ask if you can perform parts of the job to reduce the cost.

Admittedly, insulating is not a cheap job. But the payback can be huge, and you may find rebates and financial incentives. See Energy.gov???s guide to sources and to a calculator to estimate the return on an insulation investment.

Cost: Prices vary, depending on factors such as insulation type, local labor costs and size of the attic.

Set the temperature manually ??? and leave it
You can enjoy fuel savings for free simply by setting your thermostat to one temperature in the morning, another at night and otherwise leaving the thermostat alone. If you???re chilly, put on a sweater and warm socks instead of raising the heat.

Cost: $0.

Replace furnace filters monthly
Dirty furnace filters reduce furnace efficiency and push up heating bills. They also shorten the life of a furnace.

Check and replace the furnace filter monthly in winter or every three months while the system is in operation. Your owner???s manual will tell you where it???s located. Hold the filter up to the light: If you can???t see light through it, you need a new one.

Pleated filters work best because they trap more dirt particles.

Cost: Prices vary. Angie???s List says filters cost:

$1 each for flat fiberglass
$10 each for pleated and polyester
$25 each for high-efficiency varieties

Insulate the hot water heater
Save on fuel by wrapping older water heaters in a blanket of insulation, an easy DIY project that even a beginner can do. Your utility company has instructions. When insulating a gas or propane water heater, do not cover the burner access.

Do not insulate:
– Pre-insulated water heaters. These are newer units with factory installed insulation of R-16 or better (check the manufacturer???s label) under the metal shell.
– Water heaters located where the added heat is welcome.
– Water heaters whose manual or paperwork warns against insulating.
– Tankless (on-demand) water heaters.

Cost: $20 to $30. Or possibly free: Ask your utility company for any rebates, discounts or freebies. Some utilities offer free insulation and may even install it.

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Looking for information on avoiding frozen pipes? Checkout this article about avoiding frozen pipes that could be of interest to you.
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Read the entire article here: https://www.moneytalksnews.com/16-low-cost-ways-prepare-your-home-for-winter/

Looking to Get Your Home Ready for the Winter? Start Here!

Here in the south the seasons are on a different time table. It’s just now starting to get cold where as in the rest of the United States for the most part it’s been winter for awhile. With the colder weather finally upon us it’s time to start thinking about preparing our homes for winter. In order to help you determine what you should do to prepare for winter we found this article. We hope it helps!

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From the article:

With so much to be done to get a home ready for cold weather, here are some home maintenance tips from NAHB Remodelers that don???t require going outdoors.

– Check for gaps in insulation or crawl spaces that expose pipes to cold air and the risk of freezing and bursting.
– Have your heating system checked by a licensed technician before cold weather requires daily use.
– Block drafts around doors, windows and baseboards with weather stripping, window film and caulk to control heat loss.
– Install storm doors and windows to improve energy-efficiency and keep drafts at bay.
– Get chimneys cleaned by an experienced chimney sweep to prevent the risk of a fire from buildup or blockages.
– Spray door locks with powdered-graphite lubricant to prevent freezing and sticking.
– Set ceiling fans to rotate clockwise to force rising warm air back towards the floor.

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Looking for more information on getting your home ready for winter? Checkout this article about preparing home for winter that could be of interest to you.
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Read the entire article here: http://www.nahb.org/en/news-and-publications/Press-Releases/2015/october/top-tips-to-get-your-home-ready-for-winter-weather.aspx

Looking to Winterize Your Home? Try These Ideas!

Attic-insulationIt’s important to winterize your home. Most people know this but not really sure what to do to winterize it. We found this article that we hope will help you determine what to do in order to protect your home. We hope it helps!

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From the article:

So you’ve pulled your sweaters out of mothballs and found your mittens at the bottom of the coat closet. But what about your house — is it prepared for the cold months ahead?

You’ll be a lot less comfortable in the coming months if you haven’t girded Home Sweet Home for Old Man Winter.

With the help of several experts, we’ve boiled down your autumn to-do list to 10 easy tips:

Insulate yourself
“Another thing that does cost a little money — but boy, you do get the money back quick — is adding insulation to the existing insulation in the attic,” says Lipford. “Regardless of the climate conditions you live in, in the (U.S.) you need a minimum of 12 inches of insulation in your attic.”

Don’t clutter your brain with R-values or measuring tape, though. Here’s Lipford’s rule of thumb on whether you need to add insulation: “If you go into the attic and you can see the ceiling joists you know you don’t have enough, because a ceiling joist is at most 10 or 11 inches.”

A related tip: If you’re layering insulation atop other insulation, don’t use the kind that has “kraft face” finish (i.e., a paper backing). It acts as a vapor barrier, Lipford explains, and therefore can cause moisture problems in the insulation.

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Looking for more information on getting your home ready for winter? Checkout this article about winterizing your home for busy homeowners that could be of interest to you.
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For all the ways click here: http://realestate.msn.com/article.aspx?cp-documentid=13107899

Learn How to Prepare Your Home For Winter Here!

4399719294_1a3b2928d4_oMaintaining your home and doing things to avoid damage to your home is very important. Depending upon where you live preparing your home for winter is vitally important. If you’re not sure what to do then you’ve come to the right place. We hope this article will help you prepare your home for winter!

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From the article:

Give your home a once-over and tend to winter preparation tasks and repairs before the year???s first frost. ???Getting the exterior of the home ready for the cold winds, snow and ice is critical for keeping Old Man Winter out and keeping it warm and toasty inside,??? says Reggie Marston, president of Residential Equity Management Home Inspections in Springfield, VA. By being proactive, you???ll lower your energy bills, increase the efficiency and lifespan of your home???s components, and make your property safer.

Windows and Doors

  • Check all the weatherstripping around windows and doorframes for leaks to prevent heat loss. Replace weatherstripping, if necessary.
  • Replace all screen doors with storm doors.
  • Replace all window screens with storm windows.
  • Examine wooden window frames for signs of rot or decay. Repair or replace framing to maintain structural integrity.
  • Check for drafts around windows and doors. Caulk inside and out, where necessary, to keep heat from escaping.
  • Inspect windows for cracks, broken glass, or gaps. Repair or replace, if needed.

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Need to fix things around your home but don’t want to spend a lot of money? Checkout this article about cheap house fixes for busy homeowners that could be of interest to you.
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For all the ways click here: http://www.bobvila.com/articles/502-winter-preparation-checklist/