Severe Weather Protection: A Guide For Homeowners

One of the inevitable factors that downgrade the quality of a home is the weather condition. Whether you live in a two- or four-season geographic location, the changing climates contribute to the wear and tear of your home. Both low and high temperatures can impact your home’s structures and decrease their quality and condition.  

However, during the winter months, it’s a must for homeowners to weatherize their homes. It’s the time when you need to block all the cold air out, so your house remains warm, cozy, and comfortable for you and your family. Also, protecting your home from strong weather can reflect cost savings on your utilities and other monthly expenses.  

severe weather protection a guide for homeowners

Consider this guide for protecting your home from severe weather this season:

1. Inspect Your Roof And Gutters  

Before winter approaches, you need to check your roofs and gutters first. Now’s the best time to check the systems and ensure they’re in top-tier condition. You can click here to learn more about how important it is for your home to have a secure roof and gutter defense during winter.  

The easiest way to inspect your roofs is to look them up. It enables you to see if any roof tiles are loose or missing. However, a thorough inspection is required as some roof parts may only be visible when you go up to your roof. While you’re at it, you should also inspect the chimney pots to see if there are damages. Also, ensure that the aerials are attached securely.  

inspect your roof and gutters

If going up to the roof is dangerous for you, the best alternative is to use binoculars or hire professional roof repairers instead. Professionals can easily provide a safety assessment and make any necessary repairs. It’s all a matter of choosing the right contractors to work with.  

2. Install Storm Windows  

One of the best weather protection investments you can make for your home is installing storm windows. They allow you to keep your home cool during the summer and warm during the winter. Professionals must weatherproof them to prevent leaks and ensure their quality.  

The key is to search for the best storm windows supplier and professional team in the market today. You can make your home more energy-efficient with their help. Ultimately, the role of storm windows is to add layer of insulation to keep the cold air out. It will help decrease your need for heating and cooling elements inside your home.    

3. Put Weather Stripping On Your Entryways  

Caulk needs replacement after some time. So, if the caulk around your windows has already started cracking or some pieces might be missing, it’s the best time to repair and put a fresh layer of caulk on them. As time passes, the weather stripping around your doors loses its elasticity or simply breaks. The result is that heat escapes and cold air enters your home during the winter. You can weatherproof your doors easily and cheaply with weather-stripping.   

Air leaks are most likely to occur at the bottom of the door. Weatherstripping is usually pre-installed on doors, but it can wear over time and be neglected. Another alternative step is to use transparent sealant tapes instead of weather stripping. However, this is only good to use when the gaps are few and unnoticeable. For noticeable and larger gaps, it’s best to use self-adhesive foam weather-stripping products. While this can be done by yourself, you can always seek a professional’s help if you haven’t done it before.   

4. Consider Investing In A Door Sweep  

Cold air enters your home through the exterior doors. No matter how tight your front door can be, there could still be space on the bottom part. To mediate this issue, you can invest in a door sweep. You can install door sweeps with nails or an adhesive that requires no tools. You can easily find this product in your favorite hardware store or online shops.  

One way to check whether leaks are on your door is to put your hand at the bottom of your entry door. You will most likely feel cold air seeping into your home if there’s a leak on your door. To fix this, you simply need to install a door sweep inside your entry door’s bottom.  

5. Put Shade On Your Windows  

You might not realize it, but putting a shade on your windows can greatly protect your home from various weather conditions. After all, maintaining a comfortable home requires more than just sealing your windows. With shaded windows, your utility bills can be reduced, making your room’s temperature even and comfortable.   

Since insufficiently weatherproofed windows can make rooms very hot in the summer, shading becomes very important. The result is a higher electric bill since your AC units have to work harder. You don’t want to pay unnecessary costs, so the best solution is to put shade on your windows. There are many ways to do this.   

For instance, you can passively insulate your windows with natural shade providers like trees and shrubs. The good thing about them is that they can act as a window shade and air purifier in your home environment. The key is to look for outdoor plants that have the appropriate size for your home and requires lesser care requirement.   

6. Consider Attic Insulation  

Insulating your attic is one of the best ways to save money on your heating and cooling costs and keep your home green. You must at least insulate your attic if you can’t insulate your entire home due to certain constraints. There are several materials to use for attic insulation, and this will depend on your budget and preferences.  

For instance, you can opt for loose fills, fiberglass batts, spray foam, or cellulose as products for insulation. A new layer of insulation can be built or an additional layer added over the existing one. 

You can stuff loose fill insulation into gaps and leaks by stuffing it with fibers. It’s best used for irregularly spaced joists. However, it’s best to go for batts if you want to ensure uniform thickness on the attic insulation. These materials can increase the energy efficiency of your attic based on its condition.  

7. Give Your Front Door A Do-Over  

Some people might need to pay more attention to the importance of their front door. During winter, the worn-down door could cause severe air leaks, which makes the entire home inefficient. It’s time to give your main door a do-over. 

It’s time to scrape off the old paint and apply fresh coats of paint to the door. Check and inspect the door size and ensure that it fits perfectly to the hole. While doing this task, get ready to replace the hardware too. Remove the rusty and worn-down hinges, door knobs, and locks. You can also upgrade the lock to a smart one to increase your home’s security.   

8. Invest In A Smart Thermostat  

Your indoor temperature control system should work efficiently and keep your utility costs low during winter since heating your home can result in higher utility bills. If you are always busy or travel a lot, you can automate the settings on your own schedule without needing someone else to set them up beforehand. Ergo, investing in a smart thermostat is the best way to go.   

Get rid of your manual thermostat and go for a programmable one. You can switch on or off your thermostat accordingly when you’re not home yet. Managing temperatures has never been easier thanks to remote access features found in some smart home technology models of thermostats.   

This modern innovation can set a pre-programmed temperature at a pre-determined time. It will make it possible for you to come home to a cozy and warm home after being tired and busy with work outside. Just set the time and temperature and relax right after arriving at your front door. Aside from the known convenience of smart thermostats, their energy-efficient feature also allows you to generate monthly cost savings on utilities. While there are other energy-saving tips to cut your power bill, investing in smart thermostats is already a reasonable effort.  

9. Block Furnace Ducts  

When heated air blows through your vents, it loses between 20% and 30% of its heat. As a result, you’re paying more for home heating than you should. 

Since some ducts are enclosed in walls and ceilings, you can’t seal them all, but you can seal those that are exposed. For instance, you should block the furnace ducts.  

There are effective methods and techniques to do this. For instance, you can opt for metal tape or mastic sealant since they’re more effective in sealing furnace ducts during winter.   

10. Clean Your HVAC  

During summer, you need to make your home more comfortable by using cooling devices. Ensuring that your air conditioners are clean will help them work in their optimal condition. In addition to improving performance, regularly cleaning them saves you money and keeps your indoor air clean.   

The same thing goes during winter. It’s practical and wise to clean your heating systems too. Clean your HVAC system, depending on the season, to ensure they work effectively. During this time, it’s also a good opportunity to repair your HVAC if there are issues.   

Conclusion  

Even though it is time-consuming to follow all the steps above, weather-proofing your home can be made easy with those techniques and advice. Weather-proofing your home ensures the safety of your family and the integrity of your structures, so it’s important that you conduct these steps regularly every year. 

About the author

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Brad Smith

Brad Smith is an experienced interior designer and the founder of OmniHomeIdeas.com. With a Master's degree in Interior Design from Pratt Institute and a passion for creating safe and healthy living spaces, Brad shares his expert insights and innovative design ideas with our readers. His work is driven by the belief that home is where every story begins.

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