10 Ways to Winterize Your Home – Part 3

This is the final installment of a three-part series that outlines how to properly winterize your home.  These final four winterizing tips will help you have the most winterized home on your block.

Insulate

A properly insulated house is a home that keeps the heat in and the cold out.  Unfortunately, most homes in the lower mainland contain the least amount of insulation possible.  This is because most people feel that the winters are relatively mild and short in the Greater Vancouver area.  This may hold true if compared to a northern British Columbia winter, but on a night where the thermometer dips below freezing, you will be wanting all of the insulation you can possibly find.

Most relatively new homes should be properly insulated.  The newer homes available in the real estate market near Simon Fraser University are well-built and will be well insulated.  If your home is not in that category, you should think about adding insulation especially in the attic or crawl space area.  This will help keep more heat in your home.

Flush Your Tank!

One of the past tips was to turn down the heat on your hot water tank.  While you are turning down your hot water, you may want to think about flushing the tank itself.  By thoroughly flushing your hot water tank you are not only increasing its longevity, you will also help it run better and be more energy efficient which will save you money in the long run, as those winter heating bills are brutal.

Clean Those Gutters!

This is not just a job to do once a year; you should properly clean your gutters every few months.  A clean set of gutters will ensure that no debris or water accumulates in them.  If there is water in your gutters and it freezes, the expanding water can not only damage your gutters, but it can also begin to damage the side of your house!  Either way, it is 100 percent avoidable, and this is a job that will not cost you a dime.

Check Those Pipes!

This final tip may be a bit over the top if you live in the lower mainland, but if you have ever had a water pipe that has split because of freezing, you may not think so.  It is a good idea to inspect all of your pipes to make sure they are in good working order; you may want to add some extra insulation around any pipe that is exposed to exterior walls.  Remember, never turn your heat completely off if you go away for the winter.  Instead, turn your heat down, but not off.  This should keep your pipes from freezing and splitting.

We hope you have enjoyed this three-part series on how to properly winterize your home.  Remember, a properly winterized home is also an energy efficient and cost-effective home!