12 Home Care Items to Help You Prepare for Winter
Your home should be your refuge from the elements, a place where you can feel comfortable, no matter how cold it is outside. But with rising utility costs, keeping your home warm can be more challenging than ever, and even if you actively protect yourself from the cold, your home can still be subject to winter’s challenges.
Now is the time to take action. Home care products designed to protect against frost, snowstorms, and freezes will not only make your home more comfortable but also protect it from winter damage.
Basics
There are a few simple purchases you shouldn’t skip this year, even though the Farmers’ Almanac predicts a mild season.
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Space heaters. No matter how much effort you put into cooling down your home (or parts of it) it may still be cooler than you’d like. One or two powerful space heaters won’t hurt.
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Sealant. Resealing windows and doors will help prevent drafts and protect your home from water and ice. You can even use a sealant with a built-in trigger to eliminate the need for a caulking gun.
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Weatherstripping. Foam weatherstripping applied to windows and doors can significantly reduce drafts. You can also use standard window insulation kits for draft-prone areas.
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Draft stoppers. Placing several draft stoppers under doors will help prevent cold air from entering and warm air from coming in.
Powerful snow shovel
If you live in an area where it snows frequently, you know you’ll be shoveling. However, doing it manually these days is simply a backbreaker and a ruined day. A cordless electric shovel will make clearing steps, sidewalks, and driveways much easier, and it’ll also get you home for your cocoa faster.
Air curtains
If you’ve taken basic draft-prevention measures but your windows still feel cold, air curtains will add a layer of insulation and keep cold air out. Bonus: in the summer, they’ll do the same, helping your home stay cool.
Pipe temperature monitors
Frozen pipes are a nightmare. Leaving a faucet dripping during a cold snap will help prevent pipes from bursting, but it won’t prevent them from freezing. You’ll need two things: pipe insulation tape (or foam insulation , although tape is more flexible and easier to adapt) and pipe temperature sensors, such as this one or this one . The insulation will help keep the pipes warm, and the sensors will alert you if a catastrophic freeze is approaching.
If you want to take real action to prevent pipes from freezing, you can also invest in pipe heating cables , which will keep your pipes at a constant temperature and make freezing virtually impossible as long as you have electricity.
Garage door insulation kit
Your garage door is little more than a huge, open space the size of your garage. If you want to keep your home warmer, sealing your drafty garage door with a thermal insulation kit is a good start. It’s relatively easy to apply and will help reduce drafts and heat transfer without affecting the door’s operation. Bonus: it also reduces noise, making your garage a little quieter.
Cables and combs for roof heating
Your roof (hopefully) is designed to handle snow loads, but that doesn’t mean leaving it piled high for weeks or months is a good idea. While you can carefully shovel snow , a good roofing rake is a safer and easier option. You can also invest in roof heating cables —they’ll prevent ice dams, which occur when heat from inside your home melts snow on your roof, which then refreezes at the edges, causing leaks and costly damage.
Tap covers
No amount of pipe insulation will help if your home has outdoor faucets or mixers. These fixtures can also freeze and damage both the exterior and interior of your home. To prevent this, purchase several inexpensive faucet caps and install them on all outdoor fixtures.