❄Tips to Winterize Your Texas Home❄
I always get a good chuckle when I see a Texan in a thick jacket when it’s 60 degrees outside. Even though we only get maybe a good 4 weeks cumulative of weather under 40 degrees it’s still important to winterize your Texas Home. Here a few simple tips of how to do just that!
1. Replace Worn Out Weather-stripping
Drafts are no good, especially if you want to keep your home nice and toasty this winter and save money on heating costs. There is an easy way to tell if your home’s weather stripping is failing, making your home smell delicious at the same time. Light a stick of incense and hold it up to windows and doors where they meet the window sill and door jamb. If you do in fact have a draft, you will see the smoke travel towards the draft area on in away from the draft area. You can purchase and replace weather stripping yourself, finding the necessary tools and items you will need at your local hardware shop OR you can get a handyman to do the job for you. We have recommendations on who to use if you need it!
2. Caulk and Seal
Whether you have 40 year old windows or new windows, the “glazing” they use to seal those windows over time will crack and break causing gaps that will let the outside elements in. Take a caulking gun and some caulk to any cracks or gaps that you may see around your windows and door frames. This will help to save you money on heating costs by not allowing that precious heat to escape and also keep the outside cold from coming in.
3. Clean Your Gutters
Those fall leaves and fallen pine needles will surely clog up your gutters. If left they can cause blockages that make the gutters heavy and fill with rain water that could freeze and possible make them pull away from fascia boards. A few ways to clean them yourself are by getting up on a ladder and hand scooping them out or you can try to use a leaf blower. If you have a two story or don’t feel comfortable getting up on a ladder, you can call a local handyman to help with this task. We know a few, give us a call and we can give you a recommendation.
4. Hire a Chimney Sweep
If you haven’t had your chimney cleaned in a while then it may be time! This will help prevent chimney fires and prevent carbon monoxide from entering your home. It is recommended to do this once a year, let us know if you need a recommendation on who to hire!
5. Get Your Furnace Inspected
Let’s be proactive instead of reactive on this one! Instead of having your heater go out on you mid-January, have a service technician come out during Fall to inspect and run a bit of maintenance on your furnace, that will ensure you have a smooth winter ahead of you when it comes to heating. Need a professional, we know a few. Call us today for a recommendation.
6. Trim Trees and Bushes
Cut all dead and living branches hanging over your house to minimize risk of them coming down with the next storm. Also, trimming bushes away from your home will prevent water penetration into your home. Need a professional, licensed Tree Trimmer? We know a few!
7. Change Your Air Filter
THIS IS AN EASY ONE PEOPLE, and one that is forgotten about too commonly. First, changing the filter will make your heating system have to work less hard to get warm air into your home saving you money and your heating system stress. Secondly, don’t you want the air filter to do its job by removing dust, allergens, mold spores, dander, etc. from the air? Yes, well change it! I personally change mine every 3 months but you can do it more often than that or longer than that depending on your living condition: kids, pets, types of outdoor trees, indoor plants, etc. Set yourself a reoccurring reminder on your phone to replace them, you can find them at hardware store or big box stores like Target even Costco!
8. Gather up That Firewood
Fun Fact: Ash is the only tree that will burn “green,” right after it’s cut down. Stock up on firewood NOW before it becomes more of a demand and prices go up. Search Facebook Marketplace or local Social Sites like Nextdoor!
9. Cover Outside Faucets and Pipes
Whether it’s an old sock, towel with duct tape or professional insulating material; your pipes and faucets should be covered during winter to make sure they won’t freeze if the temp gets too low. I usually wrap mine up at the end of Fall and just leave them wrapped until the end of April. No harm in leaving it on there that long, you don’t want to be running outside when it’s 11pm and 28 degrees outside to cover pipes you forgot!
If you need a recommendation on for a Tree Trimmer, Handyman, HVAC professional, Chimney Sweep or anything else, we have a HUGE database of folks that we have worked with before both personally and professionally! Call us today to get their information 281-361-2280