Winterizing Your Home

All though I was born in Colorado, I moved away before I was a homeowner. Now that I’m back in Colorado, I’ve had to get up to speed on what I need to do to maintain my home so I’ve been doing some research. I want to share with you some of that research so today’s blog is on how to winterize and perform other maintenance tasks in your home.

The cold weather has arrived, and it’s time to get your home ready for the months of harsh conditions that are on the way. Here are five key tasks for winterizing your home.

Get your HVAC system inspected: Some things are better left to the experts. Schedule a tune-up with an HVAC professional—they’ll check for carbon monoxide, inspect pipes, clean/change filters, and get your system running more efficiently.


Reverse your ceiling fans: Did you know that there are separate settings on your ceiling fan for cool and warm months? You want it to rotate clockwise during the winter. It’ll force the warm air down and keep you comfortable at night.

Disconnect all hoses: This is the most common cause of frozen pipes. One way to reduce this risk is by putting your hoses away in the shed or garage for the winter. That way, if someone connects a hose they will hopefully disconnect it to put it back in its place. Also, if you see a hose out of storage it will be a red flag that someone connected it.

Keep an emergency kit: A blizzard can quickly leave you stuck at home with roads too dangerous to drive to get food and other supplies, and can even cause power outages. Prepare for the worst by stocking water, non-perishable foods, and plenty of blankets.

Clean the gutters: Clogged gutters can fill with ice and cause roof leaks from water damming. Another problem is the gutter can become heavy and rip off, causing other damage.

Now what?

Winter is hard on your home. The weight of snow puts stress on your roof, and the cold expands and contracts the materials your home is made of. So what should you do when that winter weather is behind us? Not surprisingly, some of the areas where you were focused on for winterizing will need post-winter home maintenance.

Roof and shingles: It’s pretty common for shingles to get damaged or detach completely after a long cold winter. Thoroughly inspect your roof to ensure that shingles are in good condition and the roof is structurally sound. It may not be time to replace your roof yet, but consider how many more years it has left and start preparing a budget.

Check your gutters:  Yes, do it again! The weight of heavy melting snow and debris is more than enough to make your gutters sag or loosen. Clear out all the leaves and other debris that’s collected in the gutters, and make sure they’re still securely attached at all points.

Check concrete surfaces: Fluctuating temperatures cause concrete to expand and contract. This can lead to damaged driveways, walkways, and other surfaces, and that can spell bad news for water drainage. Fill the cracks with an appropriate material, and seal your surfaces if possible.

HVAC service: Before you put your central air conditioner through a rigorous summer, clean the coils and change the filter. Better yet, bring in a professional for yearly maintenance.