14 Things You Should Do Before Winter Hits
Winter can be pretty unforgiving to the unprepared. Mistakes like failing to insulate your pipes can lead to fractured pipes, which can only mean one thing — no water supply for your household for a couple of days, if you are lucky.
I used to be a victim of forgetfulness until I made a checklist of the tasks I needed to fulfill before winter. You can avoid these issues by proactively ticking all the boxes on our checklist. Below are the 14 things you should do before winter hits.
Seal Leaky Doors
When your home's atmosphere contacts the air outside through leaky doors, your heater will have to work twice as hard to keep the room warm. The harder your heater works, the higher your electricity bill.
A straightforward and cost-effective way to stop drafts from accessing your home is by using a door snake. A door snake is a lengthy and stuffy fabric tube positioned at the bottom of a door to block drafts. The only disadvantage of using a door snake is that it can easily be displaced, and if you forget to adjust it properly, drafts will have unfiltered access to your home.
You can also stop drafts with weatherstripping. This method involves using materials like adhesive foam, door sweeps, V strips, bulb seals, and vinyl strips to protect your room from air leakage.
Circulate Hot Air Using the Reverse Switch
Did you know that your ceiling fan has a reverse switch for anti-clockwise rotation?
In the winter, heated air gets concentrated in the ceiling area or attic, leaving the lower parts colder than usual. To circulate the heat that has built up in the ceiling, use the reverse switch. It enhances heat circulation in a house.
Insulate Your Pipes
Low temperatures can cause leaky and uninsulated pipes to rupture and block. Before it starts snowing, inspect the pipes that run through your home. If you notice leakages, block them immediately or hire a professional plumber to get the work done.
You can insulate your pipes with foam rubber or fiberglass sleeves. If you won't be home for a while, drain your water system to prevent it from freezing at low temperatures. Don't forget the exterior hose bibs and those in your garage.
Unclog The Gutters
Clogged gutters can cause severe damage to your home during and after winter. Waste water should easily flow through the gutter, but when blocked, it could flood your basement and wall.
Unlike pipes, gutters are in direct contact with the uninsulated external environment. This means that stagnant gutter water can become ice dams when frozen, blocking the flow of water and making a mess of your home when the ice dam melts in the summer.
Inspect the HVAC System
The HVAC system is also known as the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system. It helps circulate the hot or cold air your heater and AC produce to every part of the room. Without the pipes and fans that make up the HVAC system, your chimney, heater, or AC has to work extra hard to heat or cool your home.
You need more than chopped-up wood for the chimney; you need to ensure that the pipes, fans, electrical network, and thermostats that make up the HVAC system are functioning properly.
Diagnosing an HVAC system problem might be an uphill battle for a non-professional. Hiring an HVAC technician to run diagnostic tests on your HVAC system is the best way to prepare it for the winter.
Update Your Medicine Cabinet
Individuals with chronic diseases such as asthma or diabetes require constant medicine supply. These diseases cannot differentiate between summer and winter; they could get worse in any season.
Stock up your home with the necessary medicines ahead of time. Winter is not the best season for medical emergencies. Keep the need for emergency services minimal by updating your medicine cabinet.
I understand that some drugs can be quite expensive, but having an extra two dosages can make all the difference in the world.
Get Protective Clothing
You can still look fashionable in the winter without exposing yourself to the cold. Wearing jackets and scarves is cool (trendy) and keeps your body warm.
Three things should help you decide how bulky your clothing should be anytime you want to step out. They are the wind speed, ambient air temperature, and the duration of time you will be spending outside.
The necessary winter clothes you need to get before winter are boots, hand gloves, sweatshirts, cardigans, leggings, and a good winter coat.
Familiarize Yourself with Different Winter Watches and Warnings
A winter storm watch or warning is a signal sent by authorities to alert citizens about the likelihood of intense weather conditions like heavy snow and freezing rain. While the nature of these conditions can be predicted, the exact time may not be known. You can expect the condition to develop in the next 24 to 48 hours after the alarm has gone off.
A winter storm watch means a winter storm is coming in a matter of days, while a winter storm warning indicates that the winter storm is imminent or already happening.
A blizzard warning means that winter winds have gotten to 35mph (miles per hour) and visibility is lower than ¼ mile, while the wind chill warning tells you that it is cold outside but not snowing.
Service Your Car
Avoid car breakdowns by performing these routine checks on your car ahead of winter. If your intuition tells you that your battery is not up to par, you can test it using a manual battery tester. If you do not have one, borrow from a neighbor or a local auto part shot for free.
Make sure your car cables and connections are corrosion-free. Change the oil if need be.
For the windshield, make sure the wiper blades are not torn or rotten. Fill up the washer fluid reservoir with the wiper fluid. And always keep a scraper close in case you need to wipe off frost from your windshield and side mirror.
Make sure your tires have the proper amount of threads in them. Once you notice too many wear bars, know that it is time for a tire replacement.
Fill Fuel Tanks
Your generator and car tanks should be filled to the brim before winter. Power outages barely happen, but it is good to prepare for emergencies, especially in the winter season when human lives depend on the heater.
It is the same logic we use when we keep fire extinguishers around, even though fire incidences might not happen. You do not want to be stranded when your home loses its power supply.
Get Basic Supplies
Get basic supplies such as non-perishable foods, candles, flashlights, bottled water, and warm blankets before a winter storm hits. The supplies will come in handy in such scenarios.
Let's say your home experiences a power outage; the first thing you need to do is remove the perishable foods like meat and poultry from the deep freezer. Then, close it so it won't lose its coldness.
Trim Trees in Your Vicinity
During a snowstorm or thunderstorm, old tree branches could fall on someone, your roof, or your car. Be sure to trim the trees in your compound before someone gets hurt.
Trimming trees helps prevent catastrophes and keeps your trees in good shape. Plus, the wood from the tree can also serve as chimney fuel.
Have a Good Rapport with Your Neighbors
Total isolation is a luxury only the rich can afford. Having a good relationship with your neighbors can give you access to tools you do not have in times of need. During an emergency, your neighbor can lend you a helping hand.
Another advantage of having a good rapport with your neighbors is that they can update you on useful weather information that might have skipped your mind.
Prepare Your Plants and Pets for Winter
Some plants cannot survive in cold places for long. Examples include pansy, hosta, boxwood, and kale. You need to bring these plants indoors. After taking the plants in, position them where they can receive enough sunlight exposure.
Note that some plants are toxic to cats and dogs. Please do your research and place the toxic plants where your pets can't reach them.
Speaking of pets, build or buy an insulated shelter for outdoor pets. Also, check that you can easily access their shelter from your home and have suitable pet carriers ready in case an emergency occurs. You should stock up on pet food, too.
