The smell of fall is in the air! As the leaves turn their beautiful hues & begin to fall, it’s a great time to start preparing for the colder winter season by taking steps to winterize your home.
   10 Tips To Get You Started

1. Heating: Make sure your furnace, fireplace or wood stove is in working order. Consider having a professional inspection. If using wood, now is a good time to buy or chop firewood.
2. Doors & Windows: Check for any air leaks, caulk cracks, replace broken glass, consider replacing any worn weather stripping
3. Smoke Detectors: Fall is a good time to check smoke & carbon monoxide detextors. Consider having a fire estinguisher in the home (if you currently have one, check the date)
4. Outside the home: Check for branches that may be hanging too close to the home/roof & trim as needed. Remember, the limbs will be weighted down with ice and or snow at some point during the winter, so take care of the possibility of danger now.
5. Pipes: It’s a good idea to wrap all exposed plumbing pipes with pipe installation. In addition, be sure to shut off & drain any outside water faucets. Ideally, choose the insulation with the highest R-value practical, which is a measure of its heat-blocking power. Pipe insulation is often R-3 or, for batt styles that you wrap around, a stronger R-7.
6. Gutters & Downspouts: Make sure outside gutters and downspouts are clean, in working order & ready for winter
7. Thermostat: If you do not have a programmable thermostat, now is a great time to invest in one. It is easy to forget to turn down the thermostat before you walk out the door, choose a programmable one to help save yourself energy costs.
8. Windows: Though energy efficient windows or upgrades would be preferred, they may not be affordable, we get that. Opt instead for an affordable window insulation kit. This provides a virtually see-through film which can help keep your heat in & keep the cold air out
9. Ceiling Fans: If your home has ceiling fans, now is the time to switch them in reverse. Counterclockwise rotation in the summer produces cooling breezes, but in the winter clockwise rotation makes the air warmer & can help you reduce your heating costs up to 10%
10. Outdoor Equipment: Be sure your outdoor equipment is accessible, in working order & ready for the cold! Replace worn shovels, drain gas from your lawnmower, service/tune up your snow blower, buy bags of ice-melt, sand or litter.

Taking steps now to winterize your home will allow you to sit back & enjoy the snowfall  without rushing around in a hurry or having to deal with broken equipment.
For more tips on preparing your home contact our office.
610-777-4123
jwells@galleninsurance.com