With the days getting shorter and the air getting colder – it’s important that we not only prepare ourselves for the cooler months of the year, but our homes as well. Taking some extra precautions while the weather is still generally warm will help you from any headaches that may occur down the line. Windows are features in the home that require a little extra attention when it comes to winterizing, and with the following suggestions – you can be prepared for just about anything once the wind chill drops. If you’re a first time homeowner or you experienced issues after last winter – it’s the perfect time to plan ahead and get things taken care of well ahead of time:

The caulking around your windows is what ultimately helps to keep the chill out and ensure that your windows are working to their full potential. Before the temperature starts to drop, it’s a great idea to ensure that all of your caulking is up to par. If there are any spots you notice may be showing signs or wear or simply need touched up, you can purchase a tube of caulking at any home improvement store and take care of the problem in just an hour or so. This is especially important if you have large windows in a commonly used room that you ensure to keep warm during the winter. With bad caulking, your heater will be working much harder to keep your home at a toasty temperature, thus raising your bill. By stopping the problem before it even gets a chance to start, your utility bills will reflect your extra attention.

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If you’re looking to replace your current windows, it’s a great idea to upgrade to an energy efficient style that will help conserve heat in the home. Double or even triple paned glass will help to insulate your home even more and can benefit you all year round. In the winter, it will help to keep the warm air in and in the summer months, it will do the same for the cool air conditioned climate. Not only will you have to worry less about climate control in your home, once again – your utility bill will certainly reflect your changes.

A quick temporary fix, although not very aesthetically pleasing, is to place a “shrink-wrap” type covering over your windows to add a bit extra insulation. This works great in spare rooms where new windows may not seem like a necessary investment, or even in a spot like the attic. Obviously, you’ll want to pay close attention to the windows in your most frequented rooms – but you also want to make sure that all problem areas are taken care of to ensure you’re getting the most out of your home’s heating system in the winter. By doing a quick walk-through and checking on all of the windows in your home, you’ll be sure not to let a window in the guest room or spare bathroom cause you a headache down the line.

Finally, giving the trim around your windows a fresh coat of paint will certainly help, as well. By painting the exterior portion around your windows while the weather is still nice, you’ll be helping to give the spot a little bit of extra protection from harsh weather. By ensuring to do this project around the same time every year, you’ll be building up the area’s immunity to damage, which will lessen your work load (and possibly even eliminate it) in the future.

So before you buckle down and prepare yourself for the cold front to roll in, make sure that your home is ready for harsh winter weather, as well. Although everyone hopes for mild weather during these months – we all know that that’s not always the case. By taking a few extra precautions, you’ll be sure that you don’t have a large workload on your hands once springtime rolls around.

4 Ways to Winterize Your Windows

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Winterizing your boat is the single most important maintenance duty that you will have to perform as a boat owner. If it is done correctly, very little work will be required to get the boat ready for the water in the spring. Proper winterization greatly extends the life of the boat and its engine by protecting its components from freezing, corrosion and lying idle for long periods.

The first step in the winterization process is to ensure that the boat’s fuel tank is full – leave just a little room for expansion – and add fuel stabilizer in accordance with the instructions on the product. If the fuel tank isn’t full you run the risk of condensation forming within the tank which can lead to corrosion and clogging.

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Turn off fuel valves and seal through-hull exhaust ports with duct tape. Replace the water separator and the fuel filter.

Protecting Your Engine

Run the engine for a while to warm it up and change the oil while it’s warm. This allows many of the impurities in the oil to be drained away. Change the oil filters. If your engine uses coolant drain the current fluid from the engine block and manifolds and replace it with a propylene glycol based antifreeze.

When a boat is not being used, oil tends to settle at the bottom of the engine block, exposing the pistons and valves to air, humidity and other corrosive materials. To avoid this situation remove the spark plugs and spray “fogging oil” inside the carburetor and into each cylinder. Replace the spark plugs without reconnecting the wires.

Replace the engine’s old gear oil with fresh oil. Dispose of any used oil at an authorized recycling center.

Outboards

Flush outboard engines with fresh water. Allow all water to drain from the engine and wash down the engine with soap and water. Disconnect the fuel hose and run the engine until it stops. It is important to ensure that all fuel is drained from the carburetor. Use fogging oil in the cylinders. Apply water resistant grease to propeller shaft and threads, and lightly lubricate the exterior of the engine or polish with a quality wax. Change the gear oil in the lower unit.

If your boat will be stored out of the water during the off season, disconnect the battery and store it at home. Boats left in the water should have the battery left in place on board and functioning so the bilge pump will continue to function if required. If you are removing the battery from the boat, ensure it is fully charged before stowing it away. Recharge every 30-60 days or keep on a trickle charger during the storage period and check the water level from time to time.

It is also sensible to remove any valuable marine electronics from the boat for the winter, and to store this equipment in a safe place to avoid theft and possible damage caused by temperature changes and humidity. The winterization process also offers an opportunity to inspect items like lines, flotation devices, flares, fire extinguishers, etc., for wear and tear and possible replacement.

Propeller

This is also a good time to check your boat’s propeller and hub. Bent or nicked propeller blades will diminish performance. The hub may also be have sustained extensive wear. If this type of damage is apparent, replace the propeller and make any necessary repairs during the winterizing process.

Clean, Clean, Clean

Clean the boat thoroughly inside and out. If you store your boat with dirt, scum, barnacles and the like on the exterior, these impurities will be even harder to remove in the spring. After the exterior of the boat has been cleaned, apply a quality polish to the exterior surfaces to create a protective barrier against dirt and dust. Clean the interior, including all timber, vinyl and carpet.

To help keep your boat free from mildew, you may wish to install a dehumidifier or use a moisture absorber. Turn any cushions up on edge so that air can circulate around them, or better yet, remove them from the boat.

Drain and clean the bilges. (If your boat will be stored out of the water remove all drain plugs and put them in a place where they’ll be easy to find when relaunching your boat in the spring.) Spray the bilges with moisture displacing lubricant and add a little antifreeze.

Empty The Head

Pump out the holding tank at an approved facility. While pumping, add fresh water to the bowl and flush several times. Use an approved cleaner for your type of system, and let the solution sit for a few minutes before adding more fresh water and pumping it out again. Add antifreeze and pump the coolant through the hoses, holding tank, Y-valve, macerator and discharge hose. Check your owner’s manual to be sure that an alcohol based antifreeze won’t damage your system.

Water Tanks

Drain the fresh water tank and any hot water heater. Isolate the hot water heater by disconnecting the in and out lines and connecting them together. Pump non-toxic antifreeze through the system by turning on all the taps / shower until the antifreeze starts coming out. Add non-toxic antifreeze to the water heater.

Put it on Blocks

If you own a trailer boat, consider putting the boat and trailer up on blocks for winter to take the pressure off the tires. Inspect the trailer and tires for wear and tear. Grease the wheel bearings and replace if necessary.

If at all possible, store your boat undercover. If you need to leave it outdoors you’ll require a boat cover. A good quality 8- to 10-ounce canvas boat cover should be adequate for most situation. Even undercover the boat should be covered to protect against dust and dirt, pests and bird droppings. For extreme conditions you could consider shrink-wrapping the boat. Do-it-yourself kits are available.

How To Winterize Your Boat

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When I rented an apartment, I never bothered to winterize the apartment and get it ready for the cold months. It didn’t really take that much more electricity and gas to heat a small apartment, so I just cranked up the furnace and enjoyed my toasty nights in bed while it was negative twenty degrees outside. But then it happened – suddenly I was a homeowner. The 1928 house I recently bought is anything but weatherproof. The basement is largely unfinished with windows that whine and whistle when the wind blows. The double-hung windows upstairs rustle the window blinds when a big gust blows through. Yes, it happened to me – I realize I need to winterize.

Having never owned a home before, I was surprised at the amount of options there are to get your house ready for the cold of winter. And, best of all, these tips will work for apartment renters as well. Roll up your sleeves and get ready for a day of fun.

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Tip #1 – Check your door frame.

Outside doors can let in a lot of cold air, even if you have a storm door installed. To see if my doors had a problem sealing I did this simple test: At night, turn the lights on in the hallway inside, then close the door (do not accidentally lock the door!) and if you can see light around the door frame, chances are you can improve the seal around the door. Buy some foam weather-stripping and seal around the door, taking care to cut out the part where the door locks. Close the door again and re-check. Hopefully you will have created a nice seal on the first try – good job!

Tip #2 – Door bottoms.

The bottom of a door presents its own problems. While they make plastic “squeegee” looking things that attach to the doors, they are not very attractive and can damage the door when they are removed. If you do not want to attach a plastic bottom to the door, then use a door snake (simple tube of material stuffed with polyfill and weighted with tiny rocks). There is even a new decide on the market that fits around your door bottom so it will still open and close!

Tip #3 – Outlets

Walls tend to breathe. If you have any type of crack in the walls, they will carry that draft until it finds a way out, including your light sockets. There are several companies that make foam inserts you can place inside your outlet cover that will help save energy and keep the cold air from escaping. These are very cheap and will take time to install but are worth every penny.

Tip #4 – Window Plastic

I used to laugh when my mother would spend the entire weekend taping up the windows and then shrinking the plastic with a hair dryer – until now. Window plastic wrap comes in all sorts of sizes and varieties, from plastic you “roll-on” and then cut to width, to the standard tape and press kind. The plastic is applied to the inside of the window, and then a hair dryer is used to shrink the plastic to create a tight seal. If you have windows that whistle or whine in the wind, then this is going to be your #1 defense. You can even double up on the plastic if you really wanted.

Tip #5 – Wrap That Heater

This is not so much a winterizing tip but a general energy-saving tip. While water heaters have become more energy efficient over the years, to increase their efficiency, use an approved water heater wrap. A gas water heater wrap that costs can save – in energy costs per year. Be sure to follow the instructions on the wrap as installation varies between gas and electric water heaters.

By utilizing these simple tips, even a novice can winterize a home and help cut down substantially on energy costs during the cold winter.

Five Tips to Winterize Your Home

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