Well, winter is almost here and you need to get ready. The last thing you need in the middle of winter is a home that simply can’t handle the long, cold winter months. A properly winterized home isn’t only warmer, it’s safer, more durable, and it can help you seriously save up on bills.

Namely, a properly winterize home means you won’t lose too much excess heat when trying to warm up your place. Your heating appliances will need to work less, and your place will heat up quicker. So, if you are interested in a couple of ways to keep your place warm, read the article below.

1. Keep an eye on your thermostat

Don’t rely on your thermostat to heat you up. This can lead to a very high energy bill, as well as needlessly draining energy. Rather, keep an eye on it. Use specific appliances that heat up only one room, and don’t leave it on when you leave your home.

Invest in a smart, programmable thermostat. This little gadget can set up the temperature of your home automatically, as well as giving you options to time it however you see fit. For example, you can set it so that it starts an hour before you arrive home, allowing you to get a home that is already warm and waiting for you, instead of waiting for things to heat up, or wasting too much money.

2. Caulk things up

One of the most common ways you lose heat in your home during the winter is through the little space, the cracks in and around your doors and windows. The best way to fix it up is to get your caulking gun, and get to work.

Inspect any and all little gaps around your doors, your window frames, and anywhere else you think air might be leaking. There is a nice trick you can try to figure this out. Namely, get a blow dryer, and a candle. Have somebody hold the candle on one side, while you use the blow dryer on the other.

3. Call the professionals

Take a good look at your home, winterize home and be realistic – what shape is it in? Sometimes you can’t really do much more except call the professionals and hope for the best. If it’s too old, ravished, if you simply can’t figure out where a draft is coming from, you have to get some professional help. Maybe the issue is caused by bad pipes, by low quality insulation, or things that you can’t really figure out for certain without years of experience.

Now, is your home really old? Is it perhaps a protected, or heritage piece? If so, you will most likely need specific professional help. Namely, heritage homes have special needs, both because of their age, and their historical value. Caulking is one thing, but if you need something big, like professional heritage roofing  done to keep things warm, we don’t suggest you go with just some average Joe contractor.

4. Add some extra insulation

First, see if your insulation is ok. Check if there are any weak points, if there are suspiciously cold areas on your walls that just shouldn’t be like that. If needed, add some extra insulation here. This one is obviously a no-brainer, but there is one part where you really need to pay attention, and that is – your attic.

Heat rises up, which means that the greatest amount of heat in your home will be lost through your roof. Any and all lack of insulation in this area will have severe consequences, making warming up your home much more difficult.

5. Install storm doors

One thing you can try is installing a storm door. Now, storm doors are doors that will give you some extra protection during the winter, especially if you live in an area with strong winds. Namely, they are usually made from wood, plastic, or aluminium, which is supposed to give an extra layer of protection around your home.

They will also physically protect your doors, so they can withstand the trauma and the damage that can be directed towards them form strong winds and debris.

Final Thought

And there you have it folks, a couple of ways you can winterize home. Whether it’s all about getting the right gear, installing storm doors or a smart thermostat, or simply caulking things up, know that some elbow grease is required. Older homes (especially heritage homes) might require you to get some extra protection, or have somebody inspect it.

Author Bio: Sarah Jessica Smith is a young blogger from Sydney. She is in love with life and all the things that can make her daily routine easier. She loves to write about home improvement, lifestyle, and all the small things that make life such a great adventure.