There’s no denying it. Winter is coming. We’ve been pretty lucky so far. Many Octobers include our area getting clobbered with “surprise” snow while we all simultaneously realize that, no, this isn’t going to be the year The Bills make it to the Super Bowl.
Getting your house winter-ready is an annoying but important part of homeownership in WNY. With so much to do, where should you start?
1. Get your furnace serviced. Now, we’ve been saying this all summer. Because it makes more sense to do it before you need it. But if you’ve ignored us, now is the time to stop. Get your furnace serviced. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. In other words, an ounce of prevention is worth six months of worry-free heat when the temperatures hit single digits and stay there.
2. Check for leaks. An energy audit can help you determine where air is leaking – either in or out. Then you can fix it. Maybe that means sewing an adorable draft stopper that looks like a caterpillar. Or installing weather stripping. Or updating your insulation. We can help you figure all that out, and it doesn’t have to cost a fortune.
3. Do your outside due diligence. Check your roof. Clean out your gutters. Clean up your lawn. Tear up annual plants and weeds. Put away all your summer furniture, tools and yard stuff.
4. Window work. Switch to storm windows. Check the frames for drafts and seal them.
5. Check your ducts. Clean ducts deliver cleaner, warmer air. Make sure they aren’t leaking to the outside.
6. Get out the sweaters.
7. Bake cookies. Or bread. But definitely bake something.
It’s that simple! Just kidding. Winter can be brutal, and depending on your home there is plenty more to do. But if you do those things, you’re off to a great start. And we’re here to help. Because we’ll show up if you call us at 2 a.m. to tell us your furnace stopped working, but we’d really, really rather address any potential now and save ourselves (and you) the trouble. Contact us today to learn more.
Capital Heat – where science and home energy meet.
