7 Tips to Winterize your Home and Save Money

With winter on its way, many homeowners start to think of ways they can prepare for the cold months ahead. We think the best idea is to use Handyman Connection of Eden Prairie to help you prepare your home for the winter, but there are also plenty of tasks you can do on your own that will help you to winterize your home and save money!

Clean Your Gutters

When you allow leaves and other debris to collect in your gutters, then the melting snow has nowhere to go when it rolls off your roof. Over time, the snow will build up in your gutters and cause an ice dam that can damage your roof. While cleaning your gutters is not the only way to help prevent ice dams, it will definitely help to keep the melted snow and ice moving away from your house and out of harm’s way.

Replace Your Door and Window Caulk

If you look around your door and window frames, you will notice lines of caulk that are designed to prevent cold air from getting into your home. When caulk starts to crack or peel away from your home, then it is no longer offering the kind of protection that keeps your energy bills down. To winterize your home completely, replace old caulk and keep the cold air out.

Fill In the Gaps with Insulation

If you examine your windows and doors, you may notice that there are gaps between where your walls meet your door and window frames. These gaps are preventing the wall insulation from doing its job of keeping the cold air out, and you can help by using insulation to fill those gaps. You can use standard fiberglass insulation, or you can use the spray-in insulation that expands to fill in all of the holes.

Cover Your Windows with Plastic

Even brand new windows can use some help with the Minnesota winters by adding a layer of insulation to help keep out the cold air. The plastic insulation kits you can buy in your local hardware store create a sealed space between the plastic and the windows that is made up of air. This air helps to prevent cold air from getting into your home, and warm air from getting out.

Install Insulated Drapes

The Handyman Connection of Eden Prairie has several contractors that can professionally design and install insulated drapes into all of your windows. If you do not have the budget to put insulated drapes in all of your windows, then focus on the bigger windows to help keep your energy bills down.

Get Your Roof Inspected

Snow and ice can find places to hide which could include small imperfections in your roof that you never knew existed. To prepare for winter, you should bring in a professional roofing company to inspect your roof, and make sure that it is prepared to handle the winter weather.

Fill In the Cracks In Your Exterior Concrete

You can call in a professional or you can get your own concrete fill-in material to get rid of the cracks in your walkways, driveway and concrete porch. The snow and ice will fill in your concrete cracks and expand. When the snow and ice expands, it causes even more damage to your exterior concrete. You can prevent this damage by filling in the cracks and not giving snow and ice a place to hide.

Winter in Eden Prairie is tough, but you can help reduce your costs this winter by preparing your home for the harsh conditions. Handyman Connection of Eden Prairie can help you get your home prepared for the winter months and save you money on repair bills and winter energy costs. Call us today at 952-563-8200 or click here to request a free, no-obligation project estimate!