Guess What? It's Time to Winterize Your Home!

From the Cary Home Page:

As the cold air moves in, you may be looking for ways to keep heating costs down and protecting your home from the icy temperatures.

Fortunately, you can follow a few simple steps to guard against cold-weather damage and keep those energy bills from skyrocketing during the upcoming winter months.

Stop Those Air Leaks

Even a small draft can make a big impact on the comfort of your home and your monthly heating bill. To check for leaks, try lighting a stick of incense and holding it near possible draft areas. If the smoke gets sucked in or blown out, you have an air leak.

Be sure to check your windows, door frames and points where materials meet (e.g. wood and brick or foundation and wall). Most drafts can be fixed with caulking. Drafts around or under your door can be fixed with weather stripping, which is available at most hardware stores.

Prevent Icy Pipes and Gutters

Ice can form in outdoor pipes and gutters. This can cause them to crack or burst, resulting in serious damage to your home once they warm up. And...don't forget to shut off the water valve for all outdoor pipes.

Here's an extra precaution. You can also purchase pipe insulation and slip it over outdoor piping. Oh...be sure to clean out all of your gutters. Any debris could cause a water blockage that may result in ice damage to your gutters or roof.

Insulate, Insulate, Insulate

The biggest money and energy-saver for your home this winter is good insulation. Older homes tend to have significantly less insulation than newer ones. It pays to check it out.

The U.S. Department of Energy says that adding new insulation will pay for itself within a few years through lower energy bills. Areas that need the most insulation are attics, cathedral ceilings, exterior walls and foundations.

Be Smart About Carbon Monoxide

Winter is the most dangerous time for carbon monoxide poisoning. Protect your home by purchasing a carbon monoxide detector. Or...if you already own one, be sure to test the batteries. It is also important to have a professional check your furnace for carbon monoxide production.


Kwik Kwote: "Problems are the price of progress. Don't bring me anything but trouble. Good news weakens me." --Charles F. Kettering

Know Your Real Estate: "APPURTENANCE"...something that is outside of the property, but is considered a part of the property and adds to its enjoyment. For example, a right-of-way over someone else's property.

To SEARCH FOR HOMES in the Cary-Raleigh area of North Carolina, visit the Wake County Real Estate Center. Or, email me at tim@timhaag.com . Or, for a no pressure chat, call me at 919.389.7135