6 Smart Ways to Prepare Your Home for the Winter Home Decoration Home Improvement by Karleia Steiner - September 2, 2014September 2, 2014 Prepare Your Home for the Winter – 6 Smart Ways to Do So The days are growing shorter and it’s becoming clear that winter is right around the corner. Now is the time to make sure your home is ready for whatever the weather brings. In addition to stocking up on some salt for the driveway and antifreeze for the car, you may also want to invest in these other six winter preparation tips. Image Credit – http://drmommyonline.com/ Look at the Caulk The nice weather of late summer and fall presents the perfect opportunity to inspect caulk. Look for any that’s faded, cracked or worn. Remove and replace it to keep your windows watertight and ensure that water doesn’t come in around exterior outlets. Buy New Shovels The Halloween decorations are on shelves now, and snow shovels are appearing in stores. If your old shovels have damaged handles or cracked blades, then this is the time to dispose of them and buy new ones. Even if you have a snow blower for most of your property, you’ll still need at least one quality shovel for smaller walkways and your front step. Clean the Gutters This may be the most dreaded chore on your list, but it’s a necessary one. Keeping the gutters clean ensures a smooth flow of water and helps you avoid problems with water damage. Use rubber gloves and a little garden shovel to make the chore more tolerable. Get the Cold Weather Protection Companies like Reitzel Insulation Co Ltd can beef up the insulation in your home and ensure that you’re comfortable throughout the winter. In addition to the attic, it’s also important to add insulation to crawlspaces and attached garages Tune-Up the Furnace Furnaces need regular attention to keep them running strong and energy efficient. An annual tune-up will help you avoid emergency breakdowns and costly repairs. It only costs about $100 to have your furnace treated, but you should recover the cost through better efficiency and greater longevity. Reversing Fans Most ceiling fans can be reversed to help heat the home. However, you probably don’t always remember to do this. When you clean off the fan blades this month, take a moment to hit the reverse switch to help keep rooms warm and comfortable as the cold weather rolls in. There are several ways to make sure that your home is ready for winter, and most of them are very affordable. Make the investment in your home to help keep it comfortable now and in the coming storms. You’ll appreciate the greater comfort and you might save money on your energy bills.