Top 5 Ways to Winterize your Home

I hate to admit it, but I have already had my pellet stove on this year. Now I know it's not ridiculously cold yet, but winter is definitely coming.

Having lived in Northern Maine all my life, I know that you definitely need to take the steps to winterize your home, otherwise it will be a long, hard winter. It's no fun to have your water freeze up and to spend the day trying to thaw the pipes just to get it going again.... believe me, I know.

So this week's Top 5 is dedicated to the ways you can winterize your home.

1. Wrap your pipes. You can use a pre-molded foam rubber sleeve or fiberglass insulation, that you can get ay just about any local hardware store. You can even use heating tape, which is basically an electrical cord that puts out heat.
2. Reverse your ceiling fan. This will push warm air downward and force it to re-circulate. We do this in our home and it also helps circulate the warm air from our pellet stove.
3. Plastic your windows. It's an affordable way to keep the cold out. Basically, the kit is plastic sheeting that is adhered to a window’s interior with double-stick tape. A hair dryer is then used to shrink-wrap the sheeting onto the window. It might not be pretty, but it will get the job done!
4. Block the leaks. First, find the leaks: recessed lighting, window and door frames, electrical outlets. Then, buy door sweeps to close spaces under exterior doors and caulk those drafty spots. Easy peasy!
5. Clean the gutters. Clear all debris from your home's gutters and rinse with a hose, so that winter's rain and melting snow can drain. Clogged drains can form ice dams, in which water backs up, freezes and causes water to seep into the house. Not good!

So these are just 5 really easy and affordable ways to winterize your home. What other steps do you take to winterize your home? Tell us on Facebook!