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Your winter home maintenance checklist — what to do (and buy) right now
Easily tackle these 6 important seasonal chores with supplies from Kidde, Duck Brand, Gorilla and more.
We're not even halfway through winter, and already the season has been a wild one, delivering record-breaking snow and freezing temps across the country. To make sure your home can, well, weather anything Mother Nature throws its way, a winter home maintenance checklist is a must. Though you can — and should — do much of your prep in advance, you can tackle other tasks as the season wears on and you see how your house handles the cold.
Frost King Indoor Window Insulation Shrink Kit, 42" x 62", 3-Pack
Duck Max Strength Heavy Duty Insulating Film Window Kit, 62" x 126", 3-Pack
Nicetown Thermal Insulated & Energy Efficiency Curtains, 52" x 84"
Duck Brand Self Adhesive Foam Weatherstrip Seal for Extra-Large Gaps
BBTO Door Weather Stripping
DAP Dynaflex 230 Sealant, Clear
Gorilla Waterproof Caulk & Sealant, 10.0 oz, Clear
Filtrete AC Furnace Air Filter, MERV 13, MPR 1900, 2-Pack
Nordic Pure Pleated Air Filters, 6-Pack
First Alert SMCO210 Combination Smoke & Carbon Monoxide Alarm
Kidde Plug In Carbon Monoxide Detector
Panacea Ash Bucket with Shovel
Vanpore Ash Vacuum
Saker Mini Chainsaw
Fiskars Bypass Pruning Shears
Not sure where to start? As a longtime home editor who has worked for HGTV and This Old House — and the owner of a 1940s cabin that experiences its fair share of brutal weather — I keep a list of winter maintenance tasks that I'm happy to share, along with the supplies you need to get the job(s) done.
One Amazon order and a bit of sweat equity later and you'll be reveling in your comfy, cozy, weatherproofed home. For more tips, here's how to prep for power outages and what to do in case of winter storms.
1. Insulate your windows.
According to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), about 30% of a home's heating energy is lost through windows. That's a lot of waste! And they may be leaking air without you knowing it. If you feel a draft near a window, that's an obvious sign that it needs to be sealed, but sometimes it's more subtle. To check, light a candle or stick of incense and carefully move it near windows and doors; if the flame flickers or the smoke drifts, you have a draft.
Believe it or not, this shrink-wrap film — the kind you heat up with a hair dryer — is a go-to for many of the experts I've interviewed over the years. The No. 1 bestseller is inexpensive and quick to install, plus it should help reduce glare and UV light entering your house. (Just keep in mind that you won't typically be able to open windows when you use a film like this, so it's a seasonal solution, not a permanent one.)
Nearly 9,000 Amazon shoppers have given this kit a five-star rating.
Another Amazon top-seller, this kit comes with enough film for three larger windows and is backed by nearly 3,200 five-star ratings.
"I sealed up my living room bay window for winter. Easy to use and fantastic for blocking drafts, highly recommend!" wrote one happy shopper.
To amp up the coziness even more, try a set of thermal curtains, which are typically made with multiple layers of fabric to trap warm air and keep it inside a room. This set has an impressive 4.8-star rating from more than 63,000(!) reviews and comes in dozens of colors and sizes.
2. Seal cracks.
Windows and doors are prime spots for cracks and gaps that air can move through, bringing a chill inside. The DOE recommends using weatherstripping to seal air leaks around movable building components, such as window tracks, and using caulk for anything stationary, such as a door frame. Replacing both is easy to do: For weatherstripping, simply remove the old strips and replace them (many have adhesive backs); for caulk, scrape off the old stuff and apply a new bead with a caulk gun. Generally, silicone-based caulk is best for indoor use and latex-based is best for outdoor use.
One of the least expensive and easiest-to-install types of weatherstripping, this foam tape seals gaps up to 5/16 inches wide around doors and windows. (It compresses when you close the door or window, which creates a seal.) For extra staying power, you can reinforce the tape with staples.
You can identify tension seal weatherstripping by its V shape: When compressed, it creates an effective block against drafts. It's also invisible and because it's self-adhesive, as easy to install as a more basic foam tape.
No caulk gun? No problem — this caulk, which you can use both indoors and out, comes in a tube with a tip for easy application.
This tough silicone caulk is waterproof and gets raves (from more than 27,000 shoppers) for its fast curing time and durability. FYI you'll need a caulk gun to apply it.
3. Replace HVAC filters.
Did you know that almost half of your home's energy use goes to heating and cooling? And in the winter months, your system is probably working overtime. A must for any winter home maintenance checklist: Inspect your HVAC filter monthly, and if it looks dirty or caked with buildup, change it (you can do this every three months if it appears clean). A gunked-up filter can lead to cold spots and slow down air flow, so your furnace will have to use up even more energy to keep your home comfortable.
Most HVAC systems use a 1-inch-thick filter, but check yours to make sure you buy the right size. A helpful way to gauge a filter's effectiveness is the MERV (minimum efficiency reporting value) rating, which ranges from 1 to 16. The higher the number, the better.
Filtrete's MPR 1900 filters have a MERV rating of 13 and come in more than a dozen sizes.
Though they have a slightly lower MERV rating than the Filtrete filters, these come at a significantly lower price and still earn raves. More than 5,500 shoppers have given them a five-star review.
4. Check smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.
It's scary to think about, but the chance of a home fire rises in the winter and if your furnace malfunctions, it can produce carbon monoxide, a deadly gas. You should be testing your smoke and carbon detectors monthly, but if you've been neglecting that task, now is the time to add it to your home maintenance checklist.
First, check that there's no dust clogging its vents, then press the “test” button to make sure the alarm is in good working order. If you don't hear anything, replace the batteries; and if that doesn't do the trick, replace the detector itself. FYI: Plan to get new smoke detectors every 10 years and new carbon monoxide detectors every seven years.
This slim No. 1 bestselling detector works for both smoke and carbon monoxide. More than 4,600 Amazon shoppers gave it a five-star rating for its ease of install and its long-lasting battery, which should keep for 10 years (which means no annoying beeps when it's running low!).
If you already have a working smoke detector mounted to your ceiling, you probably don't want to replace it. Instead, bolster your home's security with a carbon monoxide alarm that plugs into a wall outlet. Amazon shoppers bought more than 10,000 of these Kidde units in the past month!
This is great to have on hand when traveling too, as our writer discovered. Check out her full review.
5. Clean out the fireplace.
Wood-burning fireplaces are lovely, but you can't just toss in logs every so often and call it a day. Your firebox and chimney need upkeep, otherwise ash and creosote (a highly flammable substance) can build up. Clear out any ashes from the firebox once they build up about an inch thick — just make sure to do this once they're completely cool, which could take up to 24 hours. Find more hot tips on how to clean your fireplace here.
Because ashes can stay warm for so long, it's best to collect them in a durable, fire-safe bucket. This one comes with a shovel and handy built-in holder, plus it's expert-recommended.
Ash can clog your regular vacuum, so if you don't have a shop vac, consider a gadget designed specifically for fireplaces and pellet stoves. This one features a heat-resistant metal hose and comes with several attachments for getting into tight corners.
6. Trim trees and shrubs.
I know, I know, it's not prime time for gardening, but winter storms and ice can wreak havoc on tree limbs and large shrubs, and if they land on your house, that's a whole new headache. Every so often, walk around your yard and inspect trees for signs of damage. If you notice precarious limbs or branches, especially by power lines or your roof, trim them when it's safe or hire a pro. Remove or scatter large piles of dead leaves, which can collect snow and ice and become a slippery mess.
A Yahoo reader favorite, this tool weighs less than 2.5 pounds, but what it lacks in size, it more than makes up for in power. Use it for smaller branches and shrubs.
A tried-and-true choice of gardeners of all skill levels, these pruners are so easy to handle and durable, they've clocked over 37,000 five-star ratings. And did we mention they're under $15 and come with a lifetime warranty? Sold!
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