3 Ways To Prep Your Home's Exterior For Winter

3 Ways To Prep Your Home's Exterior For Winter

Many people don't realize just how important it is to perform regular inspections on the exterior of their homes. Too many times, homeowners are clueless as to the condition of their home's exterior, and only become aware of just how dire the situation is once something is broken, damaged or destroyed.  Winter is especially harsh on our homes, but there are steps you can take to ensure that your home is safe during inclement weather.  Here's just three ways to prep your home home's exterior for winter.

Preparing For Exterior Inspections

Preparing Your Garden

Preparing Your Windows

One of the biggest reasons to renovate the outside of your home is actually to prepare for winter. People don’t realize how important it is to give the outside of your home a proper inspection simply because they've never done it before. It could be something easy-peasy like checking for loose roof tiles so that when winter comes around, you don’t have leaks going into the house. However, it could also be more technical, such as making sure your boiler is working properly so that you don’t run into heating issues during the colder months.

No matter what, exterior inspections (especially in fall) are important because it affects how you’ll live through the winter.

What to consider?

• Replacing loose roofing material
• Freeing gutters of debris
• Cleaning the chimney (if you have a fireplace)
• Adding additional insulation where needed, including caulking windows
• Inspecting the furnace and / or boiler
  
• Clearing overhanging tree limbs and brush away from the house

If you’re an avid gardener then you probably already know just how important it is to perform a fall clean up. During the winter, if your garden freezes over then you don’t have much control over what you can plant, and depending on the circumstances it could ruin your lawn and destroy the garden you've worked so hard on. To remedy this, make sure you do what you can to prepare your garden  (and the rest of your property) for the winter.

What to consider?

• Mow your lawn one final time at about 3"
• Fertilize and weed, possibly aerate and thatch
• Rake your yard.  Wet leaves can wreak havoc on your lawn in the spring
• Dead head any perennial flowers to increase their growth in spring
• Trim shrubs one last time
• Remove any twigs, sticks and other debris from your yard and garden beds
• Clean and store away your tools for the season

It’s safe to say that the exterior of your home ultimately has an impact on how you live your life. Autumn is the perfect time to consider replacing old, drafty windows. Renewal by Andersen replacement window ideas is a great place to start.  

Installing ENERGY STAR® certified windows and doors can shrink energy bills-and carbon footprints-by an average of 12% nationwide compared to non-certified products. Thanks to Renewal by Andersen’s ENERGY STAR® certified replacement windows and patio doors, you will save money on your energy bills in the heat of summer and the cold of winter.

What to consider?

• Energy-efficiency
• Cost
• Material
• Style
• Warranties

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Prepping your home's exterior for winter sounds time consuming, and it is.  But what's the alternative?  A dilapidated home in disrepair, that's what.  Whether it’s cosmetic upgrades to make your home look more appealing and improve its value, or safety considerations like repairing broken roof tiles and damaged tree limbs, your home's exterior maintenance should always be a concern.
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