Prepare for winter before it’s ready to bite you

“Winter will be cold, with temperatures two degrees below normal, on average. The coldest periods will occur in mid- and late December, mid – January, and early February. Precipitation will be near or slightly below normal in the north and well above normal in the south.”

The above is a quote from the Old Farmer’s Almanac forecasting the weather for the 2008-2009 winter. Whether you believe in the almanac, we can be assured that colder weather is on the way. With this in mind, now is the time, while temperatures are still relatively warm, to get your house prepared. Here is my list of 10 things you can do to get ready for cold weather.

1. Inspect the siding and trim on your house for holes or gaps. Seal any you find. This not only will help with energy efficiency but also tends to keep pests like squirrels and rats from using your house to get warm.

2. Check the charge on your fire extinguishers. The operation of furnaces and fireplaces can increase the chances of house fires. A properly charged fire extinguisher can be a lifesaver.

3. Have your fireplace and chimney cleaned and inspected by a qualified chimney sweep. The buildup of creosote in a chimney can result in a chimney fire. A general inspection is also critical to ensure against defective components that can be a fire hazard.

4. Inspect your roof for damaged or out-of-place shingles. The safest way to inspect the roof is with binoculars. If you feel confident in your ability, you can inspect the roof from a ladder or even walk on it. I recommend, however, that most roof repairs be done by a qualified roofing contractor to ensure that they are done correctly.

5. Change the filters in your furnace. Depending upon the type of filter you have, this could be a monthly task. However, winter is a time when your furnace will definitely be used, making a clean filter extra important.

6. Inspect the trees around your house for dead limbs. Have all dead limbs removed by a qualified tree surgeon. At the same time, you might want to consider removal of all limbs that are overhanging your house. In an ice storm, even healthy limbs can break and fall.

7. Inspect the weather-stripping around doors and windows. The greatest heat loss from a house occurs from window and door openings.

8. Test your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. As with fire extinguishers, the use of furnaces and fireplaces in the winter increases the chances of house fires and carbon monoxide poisoning. Smoke detectors should be installed outside of all bedroom areas and on each level of the house. Installation of carbon monoxide detectors outside bedroom areas is recommended. Make sure to follow the manufacturer’s installation instructions in placement of carbon monoxide detectors.

9. Check your attic insulation. Your attic insulation value should be at least R-30. Generally this is a 9-inch fiberglass batt, 13½ inches of loose fill fiberglass, or 9 inches of cellulose loose fill.

10. Clean out gutters and downspouts. Overflowing gutters can deposit excessive amounts of water around your house. This excess water can result in water entry into basements and crawl spaces or even foundation failure.