As cold weather approaches, it is important to take a few preventative measures to protect your home through the chilly months. Here is a checklist to help you prepare:<\/p>\n
Check the attic, walls and basement for adequate insulation.<\/p>\n
Feel around electrical outlets and switch-plates for cold air, add insulation where necessary.<\/p>\n
Look around doors and windows for gaps and potential places where warm air can escape.<\/p>\n
Caulk or apply weather-stripping around problem draft areas.<\/p>\n
Consider replacing windows with energy efficient double-paned windows.<\/p>\n
Clean gutters and downspouts in mid-fall and double-check them before winter.<\/p>\n
Have a contractor look for damaged roof shingles and loose gutters.<\/p>\n
Replace the filter in your furnace.<\/p>\n
Have a heating\/cooling expert look at your furnace if you are unsure of its efficiency.<\/p>\n
Have chimneys and woodstoves cleaned early in the season.<\/p>\n
Test the flue for each fireplace for a tight seal when closed.<\/p>\n
Close any vents in your home that may have been opened for the warm weather.<\/p>\n
Disconnect hoses from outside faucets and turn off the water.<\/p>\n
Consider installing an overhang above the entrance to your home to make steps safer.<\/p>\n
Buy a snow shovel and other winter supplies before the messy weather hits.<\/p>\n
Keep extra water and canned food in storage just in case.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
As cold weather approaches, it is important to take a few preventative measures to protect your home through the chilly months. Here is a checklist to help you prepare: Check the attic, walls and basement for adequate insulation. Feel around electrical outlets and switch-plates for cold air, add insulation where necessary. Look around doors and …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[32,45],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-320","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-home-tips","category-walls-ceilings"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.realty.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/320","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.realty.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.realty.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.realty.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.realty.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=320"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.realty.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/320\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.realty.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=320"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.realty.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=320"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.realty.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=320"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}