Now that the cold weather is among us. It is time to prepare your home for the winter months to come. This year was one of the most rainiest years I have seen in a long time.  Since there is alot of moisture in the air it would seem as though this winter will be a bad winter.  I could make predictions about how much snow there is going to be. I will leave that up to the weather professionals. 

To prepare your home for the long 3 months of cold wintery weather take these steps to cut down on costs and illness. 

1. Go to the store and buy caulking material, caulking gun, insulation material, gloves, snow shovel, ice melting pellets, weather stripping and pipe insulation.

2. Go around the entire house and feel for drafts at the windows.  If there is a draft take the caulking material and underneath the window frame spread caulk filling in the holes. Repeat this step for each window. Also, do not forget to do this on the outside too.  If the draft is strong you may want to put special plastic that conforms to the window frame. This will seal the window so no cold drafts get through. 

3. Next go to each door leading to the outside such as the front door, side door and back door.  Inspect the weather stripping. If it looks worn or torn replace it with the weather stripping you purchased at the store.  The new weather stripping will keep the cold out. 

4. Next go into the attic and lay a new layer of insulation on top of the old insulation.  This will help keep the heat in your home.  Check the pipes and wrap the pipes with pipe insulation. This will ensure the pipes from not freezing especially those that are exposed to the cold. Make sure all drainage pipes and gutters are clear of debris.  When the snow melts you want the water to going into the drain and not staying in the gutter or on the roof.  You will end up paying more in the long run.

5. When it snows make sure your sidewalks in front of the house are clear and free from ice. Assuming you have a sidewalk that neighbors walk by the house.  You do not need a lawsuit for someone slipping and falling on your property. 

By doing the above keeping the cold out of your home should reduce your electric/gas bills.  Drink plenty of fluids and take extra vitamins to reduce the chances of catching the flu.