While the winters in North Carolina might not be as brutal as they are in other parts of the country, that does not mean that you as a homeowner should slack off and leave things to chance.

Winterizing is an essential step in preparing for the colder months – and it can save you a lot of trouble and money in the long run! Here are some of the things you need to consider if you plan to winterize your home before the months turn cold.

Get Appointments Made

You are not the only homeowner in the Raleigh area, and there are plenty of others who are looking to winterize their homes as soon as possible. That means that all the best roofers are going to have their appointment books filled before you can blink.

If you have an issue that you know will take some time and effort to fix, you need to ensure that the contractor has plenty of warnings to organize their other needs as best as possible. Many homeowners end up with contractors that they return to time and time again over the years. Building a rapport with them in this way is a great move, and it means that you might have a chance of bagging a precious appointment with them in the busy months if they know that you are a loyal customer.

Start-Up, Work Down

The first place you should inspect should be your roof. It is also one of the first places that you are likely to spot any issue that might arise. We might not always notice a leaky window or a door that won’t close properly, but we notice when water might be leaking through the ceiling. As a result, a good and thorough inspection of the roof is always a must when preparing to winterize a home.

Try to leave this to the professionals. A Raleigh roofing contractor will be your best bet for spotting any underlying issues with your roofs, and they will also have the expertise and knowledge needed to fix things too. Roofing repairs are never undertaken lightly, and your roofing contractor will be able to tell you the best way to proceed and the costs of the project if they do discover something that you need to fix.

Re-caulk Your Windows and Doors

Do you feel like there is a draft somewhere in your home? Older windows and doors can often be responsible for sapping the heat from our properties and preventing a home from truly heating up. If you feel like your home is often draughty, then it will be worth your time to try to establish where this draught might be coming from so that you can fix the issue.

Once you have found it, you need to concentrate on how you can stop it up to prevent it from leaking again. Often, the most obvious path can be to recaulk your window and door frames. This will be a long and messy project, but it can make a real difference to the inside of your home. Ensure you know exactly what you are doing before undertaking the project, or think about reaching out to a contractor to help you complete it neatly if you think your own skills won’t be up to par.

Prep Your Pipes

When was the last time you did an inspection of the pipes in your home? Should they freeze up, there is a chance that they could burst and cause some severe water damage to your property. If you live in an older home, you must check your pipes when winterizing, though you should also do so on a modern property. Insulate your pipes well, especially those that are touching exterior walls, and check all the faucets regularly throughout winter to ensure that you have a quick stream and, therefore, no worrying blockages.

While checking your pipes, you should also consider looking at your gutters. You can also tick off the list when you are looking into your roof’s current condition. You want your gutters to be clean and free of debris. If they have too much in them, they could then freeze. The added weight of the guttering could then cause it to collapse and cause damage to your home. Make sure that everything is clean and empty to avoid this unnecessary damage.

Change Your Filters

You undoubtedly have several filters throughout your home that help with various things, such as air quality. You need to ensure that they are clean and in perfect condition for winter, which probably means you will have to swap them out.

Start with your furnace filters. Most brands require you to change them at least twice a year, which means that spring and autumn are the perfect times to change them out. However, some brands require more, so make sure you properly check so you know how often you should change the filters for maximum efficiency.

Next, you need to focus on your HVAC units. After a summer of working hard, the filters probably need to be switched out. Please take this as an opportunity to perform some basic maintenance on the HVAC units, too, to ensure that they are in peak condition and able to help keep you warm as it gets colder.

Make a List

The organization is critical when trying to winterize your home correctly. You need to make sure that you have a list of all the tasks that need to be done and the supplies needed to undertake them properly. With them in hand, you should be able to ensure that your home is ready for whatever the winter months may want to throw at them.

Need some help getting your roofs ready for winter? Contact our Greensboro roofing company here at Big Bear Roofing now, and we’ll help check that your roof is in the best condition for the colder months.