Fall 2011: How to Prepare your Home for Winter

As the warmer temperatures in New York are just beginning to drop a little, we soon know that the winter will be officially here in just a few months. With colder temperatures also comes rising energy bills, drafty windows and doors, and heating our homes becomes a must. Have you thought about what you can do now in the fall, to save energy and money in the winter? Use these helpful tips to get a jump start on winterizing your home while there’s plenty of time.

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Check your home now for energy leaks: Fall is the best time to determine where energy leaks are occurring. You can easily conduct a do-it-yourself home energy assessment (also known as a home energy audit). With a simple but diligent walk-through, you can spot many problems in any type of house. When assessing your home, keep a checklist of areas you have inspected and problems you found. This list will help you prioritize your energy efficiency upgrades.

Locating Air Leaks

First, make a list of obvious air leaks (drafts). The potential energy savings from reducing drafts in a home may range from 5% to 30% per year, and the home is generally much more comfortable afterward. Check for indoor air leaks, such as gaps along the baseboard or edge of the flooring and at junctures of the walls and ceiling. Check to see if air can flow through these places:

Electrical outlets
Switch plates
Window frames
Baseboards
Weather stripping around doors
Fireplace dampers
Attic hatches
Wall- or window-mounted air conditioners.

Check to see if the caulking and weather stripping underneath your doors or around your windows are applied properly, leaving no gaps or cracks, and are in good condition. If you can see daylight around a door or window frame, then the door or window leaks. You can usually seal these leaks by caulking or weather stripping them.

Check the storm windows to see if they fit and are not broken. You may also wish to consider replacing your old windows and doors with newer, high-performance ones.

If you are having difficulty locating leaks, you may want to conduct a basic building pressurization test:

First, close all exterior doors, windows, and fireplace flues.
Turn off all combustion appliances such as gas burning furnaces and water heaters.
Then turn on all exhaust fans (generally located in the kitchen and bathrooms) or use a large window fan to suck the air out of the rooms.

This test increases infiltration through cracks and leaks, making them easier to detect. You can use incense sticks or your damp hand to locate these leaks. If you use incense sticks, moving air will cause the smoke to waver, and if you use your damp hand, any drafts will feel cool to your hand.

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On the outside of your house, inspect all areas where two different building materials meet, including:

All exterior corners
Where siding and chimneys meet
Areas where the foundation and the bottom of exterior brick or siding meet.

Lighting

Energy for lighting accounts for about 10% of your electric bill. Examine the wattage size of the light bulbs in your house. You may have 100-watt (or larger) bulbs where 60 or 75 watts would do. You should also consider compact fluorescent lamps for areas where lights are on for hours at a time. Your electric utility may offer rebates or other incentives for purchasing energy-efficient lamps.

Have your furnace/fireplace checked: The main source of heat in your home should be in good working condition and checked by a professional. Your furnace should have the ducts, heating elements, and filters changed regularly. Take the time now to clean out your fireplace of old soot and ashes, and hire a chimney sweeper to clean out the chimney and. Consider inspecting the roof and around the chimney for flashing damage so there will be no surprise leaks from rain or snow through the chimney! Also make sure wire netting is placed at the top of the chimney so debris, rodents and birds don’t enter into your fireplace. If you live in a climate that is still able to enjoy the outdoors, ensure your outdoor fireplace is cleaned and maintained each season as well.

Walk around the exterior of your home: The exterior of your home tends to be forgotten about in the wintertime and now is the time to inspect it. Inspect gutters to ensure they are clean and rid of leaves. Check for broken screens or replace/fix if there’s anything broken. Now it’s the perfect time to buy and stock up on salt, and other winter accessories and tools. No lack of materials or high prices!

Repair and clean: Similarly to spring cleaning when your home has been sitting dormant all winter, fall clean up prepares your home for the winter season as well as ensures that everything is in good working order. Repair any cracks in your foundation, pressure wash exterior brick and concrete, and get your furnace and/or chimney serviced. Clean out your garage, any storage areas around your house. Check your snow blower or shovels, and other tools to see if they need replacing from last winter.

Though autumn in New York City is a delectable time of year to enjoy the charms of the Manhattan metropolis, the pristine season is over all too soon. Use these helpful tips to save money, energy, and keep your family safe and warm during the winter. Don’t get caught off guard! Once old man winter descends on New York, make sure you had already performed a good maintenance on your home for the upcoming winter season.

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