How to Protect Your Home in Winter
We could get our first freeze this week in the Portland area, so it’s time to make sure your house is ready for Winter.
If you don’t do anything else on this list, go outside right now and disconnect your garden hoses from the faucets! Drain the water out of the hoses and store the hoses in a garage or shed, and cover the faucets with an insulated cover. This is such an easy way to prevent those faucets (and pipes) from freezing.
Once you’ve taken care of this easy fix, here are more things you can do to protect your house this Winter.
Clean your gutters, so they won’t clog up when the rain gets heavy.
Weather-proof your doors and windows by sealing up any little gaps and installing doors sweeps on your exterior doors.
Service your furnace—don’t wait until it’s really cold and your furnace is working nonstop. Go ahead and call an HVAC company (we can recommend several) and get them to check your furnace out. It’s also a great time to replace your furnace filter.
Clean your roof and have it checked out by a roofer to make sure you don’t have any damaged or missing shingles that could lead to a leak.
Consider adding insulation to your attic or crawlspace. Energy Trust of Oregon has some great rebate programs that can reimburse you for a significant amount of the cost. Check out their programs here, and let us know if you want a contractor recommendation.
Stock up on hot tea and hot chocolate and prepare to enjoy the changing weather.