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Pretty soon your lawn will be dusted in fresh white snow. Winter is just around the corner, are you prepared? This is your checklist for winterizing your home.

Check your gutters.

With all the fall leaves dropping, you will want to make sure debris isn’t clogging your gutters. Gutters help protect your roof and the interior of your home from rainfall leaking into your home. A good rule of thumb is to check your gutters every 4 months. Don’t forget about the downspouts!

Seal the cracks.

A home with air leaks around any doors or windows is not the most cost-effective. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, gaps in caulk and weather-stripping can account for 10% of your heating bill. Don’t let your money go to waste!

Inspect your roof.

 With ice and winter winds coming, inspecting your roof now can save you from a disaster later. According to facilitiesnet.com, “a roof that is not regularly maintained will only last about half of its expected service life.” Most warranties on a roof have a disclosure that the warranty is void if you can’t show that the roof has been maintained.

Inspect your furnace.

When preparing your furnace for winter it is important to make sure all of the components are working properly. You should not hear any unusual noises when starting it. Also, be sure you have a clean furnace filter in.

Check your chimney.

Check for any obstructions in your chimney, this could be debris or bird nests. Make sure you don’t have a significant soot buildup; this can be a dangerous fire hazard. If it has been awhile since you had a professional clean and inspect your chimney, now would be the time to do so.

Drain outside pipes.

To ensure your outside faucets and in-ground sprinkler system pipes don’t freeze and bust, you will want to drain those pipes! This is an easy process. Just shut off valves to the outside faucets and then open the outside lines to drain them.

Once these things have been done you can kick your feet on the couch with a hot beverage and relax, knowing your home is ready for the severe winter weather.