With the cold breeze of winters around us, we seek comfort in our homes; but if your home isn’t warm enough you will never get cozy. But don’t worry, we’ve got your back, here are five ways to winter proof your home for that peaceful night you’ve all been craving for. These tips will be helpful in keeping up with the unforgiving weather.

As winter is rapidly approaching, snowfall is inevitable in most areas of the country. While snow-covered roofs may be a beautiful sight, it creates quite a heavy load. Managing waterflow is the utmost thing to look after. In winter, the freezing temperature can get problematic when it comes to managing waterflow on roof tops and eavestrough. Places that could store water can give way to leaks, as water expands when its frozen which can create leaks and holes in gutters, downspouts or eavestrough. Roof shingles are roof covering which are typically flat and rectangular shaped elements. Asphalt shingles are nailed to each other in an overlapping way to shed water and resist wind uplift. Securing shingles can help in winterizing your home. 

Most home-owners know that its important to winterize the outside faucets to prevent them from freezing because freeze damage can destroy the faucet or burst the pipe. This is how you could implement on this, turn the water off at the shutoff valve. Go outside and open the faucet; some water will drain out. Return to the inside shutoff valve and remove the bleeder cap to drain remaining water out of the pipe. If you don’t take precautions, then you are asking for trouble.

Proper pruning can enhance the aesthetics of your trees and shrubs as well as the bricked walls otherwise it can wreak havoc. Old buildings, usually, need to breath. The dampness and moisture seeps in the bricks and causes erosion inside it. Moreover, the leaves carry pests which can climb onto the walls of houses if the plants are touching the walls which can be dangerous. So, it’s preferable to trim the vegetation.

Before the arrival, it is needed to be ensured that furnace is functional, energy-efficient and safe to use. Here are few steps to follow:

- Schedule to clean your furnace

- Change your furnace filter

- Switch the thermostat from cooling to heating

- Consider calling up a professional to have a look at the chimney for      soot build up, bird nests and debris. 

- The furnace burners should be free of dust and while cleaning take note of the rust.

- The furnace boiler needs to be oiled once a year, so it works effectively

- Make sure thermostat is working correctly as it defines the efficiency

- Heating events should not be covered

A typical family spends a lot of money on maintaining heating and cooling system, the air that leaks out of the houses through unintended gaps and leaks can be fixed by yourself easily. Gaps can be covered with aluminum flashing, it can be sealed by caulking, squirt foam in medium size gaps, add bronze weather stripping on doors and windows since they are chronical. 

When you are done with these things, take a mug full of foamy coffee and a good book and sit in front of your furnace to enjoy the season and of course, keep visiting Mktlist.ca. Happy Winters!