The Complete Home Winterization Checklist

Roof maintenance is best done before the cold sets in, and it’s crucial for preparing the outside of your home for winter. The best way to determine your roof’s integrity is to do a visual inspection. You will want to look for sections of the roof where the shingles are cracking, bending, or just plain missing. Loose screws and rusted panels should also be checked to see if there are some potential leaks in the making. Review our roof maintenance checklist to ensure your roof is ready to withstand the winter months.

Before you start decking the halls, make sure you’re taking care of your deck. Sweep your deck clean of fallen leaves and other dirt and debris. If you didn’t apply a fresh coat of sealer in the spring, now may be the time to do that before the snow starts falling. You can lay a large tarp down to protect your wood or make sure to be diligent about using a plastic shovel for snow removal. Focusing on maintaining your deck year-round can help preserve its lifespan.

As you winterize your home, pay special attention to water sources. If your lawn has a sprinkler system, it’s important to shut the water off before the ground freezes. You will also want to flush the existing water out of the pipes. To do that, open up the manual valve and flip on the system or, alternatively, use a compressor to blow the remaining water out of the system.

Don’t wait for blustery winds and flurries to get your snow removal equipment in order. If you haven’t run your snowblower in a while, you’ll probably want to change the motor oil, spark plug and air filter before firing it up. Once that basic maintenance is out of the way, turn it on to ensure that everything is running smoothly. You should also lubricate the chute, levers and linkages throughout the machine so that everything turns easily once you’re removing snow.

Before the freezing weather hits, take inventory of all your outdoor accessories and plants. To prevent damage, debug your plants and bring them inside before the first frost hits. Clean all of your outdoor furniture and store in your garage or shed.

You should also clean and store away any summer yard equipment while preparing for winter. For your garden hose, disconnect it from your faucet and put it away. For mowers, you’ll want to scrape off any grass that is caked onto the blades. This can be done with a putty knife or wire brush. You should also take this time to change the oil, air filter and spark plug so you’re good to mow when spring rolls around.

Unheated interior spaces like your garage, attic and basement are most at risk for frozen pipes. Use pipe insulation liberally on any of your exposed pipes in the vulnerable areas of your house. Other ways to protect your pipes from freezing are to keep your garage door closed as much as possible and not let the temperature of your house hit below 55 degrees Fahrenheit. Using your garage as a workshop or hangout spot? Learn the best ways to heat a garage for year-round use.

Santa doesn’t want to come down a dirty chimney. Since you probably didn’t use it during the summer, having your chimney inspected and cleaned is an important winterization checklist item for fire safety. Hire a professional inspector to check out your chimney while preparing the inside of your home for winter. An inspector will determine if there has been any buildup through the off-seasons and test your flue for a tight seal when it’s closed.

Furnace filters should be changed at least every three months, though some experts recommend changing them as frequently as once a month. Call an HVAC professional to come out and inspect the furnace to make sure everything is operational. During their inspection, they’ll clean the furnace and change the filter for you. It’s worth paying a little extra to have them clean out your ducts as well.

To stop your hot water heater from losing heat as quickly, you can purchase a water heater insulation blanket. This will only run you about $20-25 from your local home improvement store and can save you some cash on your heating bill.

Winter is the perfect time to crank the heat, light a fire and make some soup on the stove. But while you’re basking in the comfort of your own home, remember that winter is the peak season for fires and carbon monoxide poisoning. Change the batteries in smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and test them to make sure they are working properly. If your batteries ran out of juice, get rid of them and buy a new pack.