Unfortunately, the end to summer is just around the corner, and the leaves will be changing colors. Autumn brings school, stress and that cold weather everyone has been dreading. If you want to ensure your home remains comfortable as the seasons change, here are a few tips to weatherproof your home.
Inspect your roof
The roof is your home’s first line of defense against the elements. It helps to protect you from high heat, bitter cold, pouring rain and heavy snows. Snow and ice can wreak havoc on your roof and shingles if not properly managed. This can lead to warped rafters and trusses, possible leaks, drafts and increased strain on your heating system.
To ensure that you do not have excessive snow and ice build up, improve the ventilation in your attic. Appropriate attic ventilation will help air circulate in and out of your attic. This can help you avoid excessive snow and ice accumulation.
Another common roof problem and one of the top causes for roofing leaks is flashing problems. Flashing can be found around the perimeter of your home, as well as around roof vents, chimneys and piping. During periods of high winds, your flashing can be loosened or torn off, leading to damaging leaks. By having your roof inspected before the winter season, you reduce your chances of facing extensive damage at the worst time possible.
But your roof is not a do it yourself project. Call a professional who has the correct equipment and knowledge to carry out a safe assessment. It’s also best to let them make any necessary repairs.
Install storm doors and windows
Most homeowners wait until late fall to install their storm doors and windows. Autumn in New England can have some surprise warm weather. But we also have cool temperatures that cause us to turn our heat on. One of the easiest ways to weatherproof your home is to bring your storm doors and windows out of storage and get them installed. This will prevent you from paying for heat escaping your house.
Check your gutters
A properly pitched gutter is the difference between your basement staying dry and looking like a swimming pool. Your gutters should have a slope between 1/6 inch and 1/8 inch per foot, allowing water to run to the leader and out of the downspout. You can examine the pitch by holding a level even with the gutter and pouring water in and check the flow’s direction. Any warps or pools of the gutters will be exacerbated with the rain and falling leaves.
Clean cooling devices
Remove all window AC units when the temperature drops. Make sure to vacuum the coils and filters while storing them in a cool and dry place. Don’t forget to cover them to keep out dust and bugs. You should also wipe down all fans with a microfiber cloth. Next spring and summer when you want to turn on your AC, this will prevent rust or unpleasant smells spewing out along with the cold air. Also make sure to switch the rotation of ceiling fans to clockwise so that they push warm air down.
Insulate doors and windows
While storm doors and windows save money on your heating bill, insulating doors and windows will help weatherproof your home. Before temperatures drop too low, inspect all of your windows to ensure that there are no breaks. You should then check the seal around each of your windows.
Windows that are no longer sealed properly can lead to both air and moisture leaks that can damage your home and reduce your level of comfort. Press adhesive-backed closed-cell foam onto the bottom sash of the window. Apply foam strips to the sides and tops of doors, and on the bottom add a door sweep. Simply sealing your windows each year can greatly improve the energy efficiency of your home, removing some of the load from your HVAC system.
Insulate basement and attic
Insulating your attic and basement is one of the best things you can do to keep heating and cooling costs down. Basement and attic insulation is not cheap, but it will give you the biggest return on investment. Remember that a lot of heat can be lost through under-insulated crawl spaces, basements, and attics.
Inspect your siding
Similar to your roof, your siding is the first line of defense against the elements on the walls of your home. Siding serves to insulate our homes from extreme temperatures. It can also protect us from any debris that winter storms may stir up. A pre-winter siding inspection should be an important step in every homeowners routine maintenance routine.
When you inspect your siding, you should look for loose, cracked chipped or broken siding, unwanted vegetation and proper sealant. In the case of many small cracks and areas that create thin gaps, you can often fix the problem with a bead of caulk. If the damage extends beyond this, however, you will want to call a professional to repair.
Find and fix cracked concrete
Cracks in your concrete not only present tripping hazards, but will only get worse if water enters and freezes in there. These are usually pretty easy to fix. All you will need is a bottle of caulk. Crack under a half-inch wide only requires you to squeeze a bead of acrylic latex concrete, smoothing the excess with a putty knife. Larger cracks, however, require a vinyl concrete patching compound.
Talk to our expert team of home improvement professionals for advice on how to best weatherproof your home.