5 Simple Steps to Prepare Your Home for Winter

 Now that is officially coming and gone, it's time to prepare your home for cold weather. Preparing your home for a long, cold winter is something every homeowner should consider. These steps, most of which you can do, will help lower your utility bills and protect your investment.



 Get a Furnace Tune Up
Most top heating oil companies perform tune-ups for your heating system annually. Many combines your tune-up with a 24/7 service contract for one affordable price. You can learn more about Petro Home Heating system services tune ups and schedule yours today.

Take Steps to Ice Dams Prevent
Ice dam prevention is one of the most important things you should be ready for winter. This involves cleaning your gutters of leaves and other debris, and making sure your gutter system is intact. The best way to avoid ice is to keep the water flowing as it moves water. If your gutters are blocked, raining and melting snow form the weather conditions are right.

Seal Your Windows and Doors to Keep Heat Inside
Heating your home can be expensive if your windows and doors are letting heat escape in winter. It is relatively inexpensive to seal your windows and doors. If you're semi-handy, you can make this DIY project. Depending on the number of windows and doors in your home, this project will not take long or be expensive.

Turn Off Outside Faucets to Avoid Frozen Pipes
When it's cold, there is little chance of your interior freezing, but your outside faucets are another matter. You should turn off your faucets when subfreezing weather arrives. Because of the fact that the faucets are outside, they could be subject to freezing. Turning off the source of water (usually with a "shutoff" in the house) should minimize or eliminate the risk of pipes or bursting.

Have a Chimney Sweep Clean Your Chimney
A chimney loaded with creosote is not just a nuisance, it's dangerous for you and you're not going to have a breeding ground for fires. The blockage could also cause blowback of fireplace smoke if the buildup is severe.