Winterizing The Home

By Maryl Joop


An old adage says that preparation proceeds power, and in the case of winterizing a home, this statement has been proven time and time again. Only the power that one yields from preparing their home against the cold winter's chill is not some metaphoric element or influence, the power that a homeowner derives from preparing their home for the winter is literal saved energy and power in the form of conserved heat and other power supplies.

Winterizing the home in preparation for the long winter months is one of the best things that a homeowner can do to help protect their home from damage during the winter as well as save money on heating and utility costs.

Energy preservation and damage prevention are the two main goals for any homeowner that is attempting to winterize their home. With these two goals kept firmly in mind, a homeowner and a person who has bought their home using a VA home loan can logically think of tasks to do to properly winterize their home.

But for those who still need help with where to start as they attempt to winterize their home for the upcoming cold months, consider these four steps to winterizing a home.

Winterizing the home means to take steps that will protect the house from all possible dangers winter can bring upon it as well as ensuring that the house is well insulated and sealed to avoid the loss of precious (and paid for) heat. While some homeowners may see this as a monumental task, once the steps to winterization are broken down a homeowner can see that the task of winterizing the home is more than doable.

Getting emergency equipment early on will ensure that you are as prepared as possible when the water comes in. You should take the time that you need to purchase enough sandbags to build a wall around your home that reaches at least three to four feet.

Starting the winterization process on the home can start whenever the homeowner desires as increasing insulation and sealing air leaks in the home can help a home stay cool in the summer just as much as it will help the home to stay warm in the winter.

The third step for winterizing a home is to beef up the insulation that the home already holds. The attic or upper crawl space of the home will be the best place to add extra insulation due to the fact that heat rises, and by stopping the heat from escaping through the addition of more insulation a homeowner can ensure that their home will better retain the heat it produces.

The fourth step to winterizing a home is for the homeowner to check and inspect their heating unit in the home. Whatever item may produce the heat for the home, whether it is a gas furnace or a wood burning stove, this appliance will need to be inspected for safety as well as for efficiency.

Along with inspecting the heating source of the home, a homeowner may wish to consider inspecting the air ducts of the home to ensure that they themselves do not have leaks that will lead to inefficiency.

Plugging gapped spaces and adding a safety layer of caulk or molding around the door jams, doorways, and windows of the home will help to seal leaky areas of the home and ensure that the home retains its heat. By winterizing the home a homeowner will be able to protect their home from damage and ensure that they save more money on heating costs during the upcoming winter.




About the Author:



0 comments:

Post a Comment

 

Holidays Copyright © 2011-2012 | Powered by Blogger