by Steve Hansell

Created on: August 10, 2010   Last Updated: September 06, 2010

The time has come to winterize your home. It probably doesn't sound all that exciting on a beautiful fall day, but it's now or never. And it doesn't have to cost a lot to winterize your home, some of the simpler things can help you avoid problems later.

Clean and organize your outside storage sheds and closets. It is both a time saver in finding things in the middle of winter, and keeping things in the proper storage area will keep you from ruining expensive paints, for example, through freezing

Ice dams create places for water to flow under the tiles on your roof when it thaws. You can avoid them by making sure that the attic is well ventilated and well insulated. If your home is older and you haven't had the attic insulated, it’s probably time to consider it.

Clean and inspect your gutters in the fall to assure they can handle the load and allow the water an easy place to go. If your gutter fills up and gets a chance to freeze, it can be pulled away from the house and allow water to run straight down the exterior walls to the foundation.

The fall is a good time to inspect the exterior of your house for cracks and loose siding. Caulking in those cracks and securing the siding can keep water from finding a place to work in to the house and create damaged walls and ceilings. Look for cracks around windows especially. Filling those in can help keep the cold out, and save on heating costs.

Replace weather stripping around doors and windows in the fall to help reduce drafts and take the load off of the furnace. The less the furnace runs, the longer it lasts.

A good coat of paint will help the house and windows shed water and the fall is a good time to paint. Just make sure the temperature stays above 50 to let the paint dry properly.

It’s really important to avoid water damage from freezing and thawing with a brick exterior because once the damage happens, it is impossible to repair. Apply a masonry sealer to keep the water out of the brick.

Insulate your pipes, both hot and cold water, to keep them from freezing. If they run through the crawl space or unheated areas of the house, make sure they are wrapped with a good quality insulation.

Put in the storm windows before it gets too cold, especially if you have older, single pane glass windows.

Cleaning the leaves away from storm drains can keep the water from backing up and turning into an ice sheet in front of your house. That can be a danger to pedestrians and automobiles.

The best time to save money on home repairs is before the damage happens. Winterizing you home in the fall will pay for itself in both time and potential repairs when spring arrives.

Learn more about this author, Steve Hansell.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.