How to Winterize Your Home (And When to Call an Expert)

December 2024

Winter can be hard on your home. But by checking off some home maintenance tasks in fall and early winter, you can be sure your home is ready to weather the cold.

Between rain, snow, and extreme temperatures, even small issues can add up to large and costly problems if left unattended. Here are a few things you can do in fall and early winter to ensure your home is properly winterized before the cold season sets in.

Clean out your gutters

Now’s the time of year when leaves, acorns, pine needles, and other debris can easily fall into and clog up the gutters. Make sure that water can easily flow through the gutters so icicles and ice dams don’t form.

Check all the pipes to prevent freezing

Be thorough—chances are your home has more faucets and pipes (and potential water leak spots) than you think.

Inside your home:

Take note of pipes located on exterior walls or in unheated areas—those will be your first priority to protect from freezing during cold weather.
Be sure you know where your main water shut-off valve is located, so you’ll be able to quickly turn off your water in case of emergency.

Outside your home:

If your home has a separate shut-off valve for external faucets, shut off the water, drain the faucets, and place covers over them for the winter.
Disconnect and store all your garden hoses so they won’t freeze up.
Disconnect and drain any sprinkler systems. If you have an extensive underground sprinkler system, you may want to call a professional company to blow out any leftover water that may be in the underground lines.

Check weather stripping

Check doors and windows and fix leaks to increase energy efficiency.

Prepare a 72-hour emergency kit

Even if your home is properly winterized, you could still lose power during a bad storm and roads could be treacherous. Make sure you have enough food, water, medicine, batteries, and other supplies to last a few days. Many camping and outdoor stores offer pre-made 72-hour kits.

When to bring in the experts

Once you’ve tackled the DIY projects, it’s time to schedule a few service calls.

Have your heating system inspected

The colder it gets, the busier most HVAC professionals will be. Don’t put off having your system inspected to ensure it’s running correctly and efficiently. A proper servicing will include:

Checking for carbon monoxide
Cleaning and replacing filters
Checking blower operation
Cleaning motor and fan
Inspecting gas piping to furnace

Inspect and shut down your air conditioning

Make sure your air conditioning system is properly shut down for winter:

Drain any pipes or hoses coming from your air conditioner
Vacuum out any pools of water you have in the A/C’s drain pan
Cover your central air unit with a plastic air conditioner cover to keep water and snow out

Trim trees and vines

All trees on your property need to be regularly pruned, especially if any branches reach over your house, driveway, or your neighbor's property. Here's why: Windstorms can snap off branches and cause major damage, as can ice and snow accumulating and adding extra weight and pressure. Even smaller branches can cause damage to vehicles, sheds, roofs, and other outdoor items.

For most trimming and pruning, it's best to contact a professional arborist for assistance—they'll have the right tools, safety protocols, and experience for the job, especially for larger trees or more complex jobs.

However, if you decide to do some lighter pruning yourself, make sure to use all tools properly and according to manufacturer instructions, including safely using a ladder outdoors.

Get your fireplace or wood stove cleaned and inspected before use

It's important to have a professional inspect and clean your chimney on a yearly basis (or more frequently if you burn a lot of wood) and make sure dampers and flues are functioning properly.

Keep tools and fireplace screens in good shape, and clear ash away regularly once it has completely cooled. And watch our Fireplace Safety video for additional tips!

Stay safe and cozy at home this winter

Follow these thoughtful tips and you should be able to ride out the worst of “Old Man Winter” without any serious trouble.

The information we share on our site is intended to serve as a general overview. Please refer to your policy or contact your local independent agent for specific coverage details.

Source: "11 Ways to Winterize Your Home on a Budget." BobVila, accessed October 2023.