The weather is getting colder and, while we don’t experience the always freezing temperatures like our friends out East, we do need to be cognizant of winter-izing your home in Vancouver during this time of the year. Putting in the work now can help you save money as you move through the Holidays and into the New Year.
Why should you Winter-ize your home?
Not only will preparing your home for the Winter help you stay warm and cozy, it will also contribute to slashing your heating bill. Keeping the warm air inside your home, and taking steps to ensure the cold air does not enter, will support your home preparation during the Winter.
How To Guide: Winter-izing Your Home in Vancouver
1. Consider adding insulation in your attic
Many homes are not utilizing the benefits of adding insulation in your attic. Having a properly insulated floor, especially at the time of a new build or renovation, will contribute to preventing heated air in the rooms below. This is especially useful if your master bedroom or other bedrooms are on the top floor; effective insulation will help to keep the warm air inside these rooms, and reduce your utility bills.
2. Storm and utility windows can support in your energy conservation
Storm windows are economical in the way of increasing the efficiency of older windows. This is helpful for homes that are undergoing a renovation. With single-pane windows being very inefficient, storm windows act as a mount to the exterior of your current windows, providing an additional layer of protection against the outside elements. See here for an excellent guide from Lowes on shopping for storm windows.
3. Inspect your current weather stripping
Now is a great time to take a look at your weather stripping on all exterior doors and determine if it needs to be replaced. Look for any signs of ripping, crushing or perhaps even missing pieces. One of the best ways to identify this is to close the door and take a look underneath it – do you see any light shining through? If you do, you may need to replace it.
4. Look into a programmable thermostat
A programmable thermostat is not only an excellent idea for the Winter, it can actually help you in the Summer! These thermostats can be adjusted to match your lifestyle. For example, if you go to work every day at 8AM, your thermostat can turn off the heat while you are gone. You can also program the heat to turn back on when you are on your way back home, to ensure your house is comfortable without any wasted energy.
5. Wrap your outdoor water faucets with towels or old sweaters
Your home will have outdoor water faucets or pipes, for which you use to install your hose in the Spring and Summer. If you don’t mind the aesthetics, consider wrapping these with towels or old sweaters (you can keep it together with tape). This will help protect your pipes from freezing, which may have an adverse effect on your home.
6. Change your furnace filters
Changing your filters every two months during the Winter is a best practice to keep your efficiency in top shape. A clogged and dirty filter will impact the airflow of your home, which will decrease the efficiency of your furnace overall.
As the weather is still mild enough to make these changes, the time is now to discover how winter-izing your home in Vancouver is important. You will thank your self by the time the Spring comes around, as you will have found efficiency and warmth during these months. For more tips or questions, contact us here.