How to prepare your home for winter

For many Midwesterners, autumn is their favorite season. The changing colors of the leaves, clear blue skies and cool, comfortable temperatures result in more time spent outdoors. What concerns homeowners is what follows autumn — Old Man Winter.

Last winter was exceptionally cold and snowy. Is your home ready for the upcoming winter season?

Alex Gherghiceanu, owner of Glenbrook Remodeling (www.glenbrookremodeling.com) in Glenview, offers the following recommendations for homeowners to help them survive the winter.

Does your home have single pane windows? Remove the screens and install the storm windows. “Adding a clear plastic insulation kit over your existing windows will help keep out the cold. Even better, upgrade to energy-efficient thermal vinyl replacement windows. Your home will be warmer, quieter and energy bills will be significantly reduced,” Gherghiceanu said.

Check your home's entry doors. Wood doors eventually warp because of the seasonal temperature changes of summer heat and winter cold. Make sure doors fit tightly when closed. A simple method to check for air leaks is to hold a lighted candle a few inches from the door frame and slowly move the candle around the frame's perimeter. If the flame flickers, air leaks are present. Adding caulk or spray foam insulation around the frame is a temporary fix. Consider replacing the doors with steel insulated or fiberglass doors.

Gherghiceanu emphasizes the importance of increasing attic insulation to a minimum of R-38. “For most homes, this means increasing the height of the existing insulation by 12 inches. Unfaced insulation, available at most home improvement stores, can be placed on top of the existing insulation. If the homeowner has safe access to their attic, this is relatively simple to do,” Gherghiceanu said.

A significant amount of heat is lost from a home into the attic because the ceiling of the home isn't properly air sealed.

“Having the attic properly air sealed from the house greatly improves the efficiency of the additional attic insulation, and is one of the first steps to making your home more energy efficient,” said Arlington Heights resident David Wytmar, an architect and LEED-certified energy expert with Groundwork Ltd. in Buffalo Grove.

“Local gas utilities have teamed with ComEd and offer free home energy assessments, which is a great place to start. Search for 'Home Energy Assessment' on your gas company's website. Some even offer discounted rates or rebates for this work,” he said.

Wrap an insulation blanket around the hot water heater. This will save about 10 percent of water heating costs.

“For ductwork that travels through a cold garage, basement or attic, wrap the exposed ductwork with insulation. A home with central heating can lose up to 60 percent of heated air before that air is emitted into the rooms through the vents,” Gherghiceanu said.

Install a programmable thermostat. The thermostat can be programmed to lower the heat during the day when kids are at school and homeowners are at work, and automatically turn up the heat in the evening when the family returns. No need to keep the house warm when no one is home. Programmable thermostats can save nearly $200 during a typical winter, which more than pays for the new thermostat. They are easy to install.

Have a professional inspect the furnace prior to the winter season. Replace the furnace filters every 30 days. Keep the furnace motor lubricated (if required) and remove any stored items and clutter from around the furnace and hot water tank, especially if the items are potentially flammable.

Be sure that gutters and downspouts are clear of leaves and any debris. If your home has a flat tar roof, what is its condition? Are there cracks and gaps? They should be filled prior to the cold weather. Inspect the condition of the flashing around the chimney, vent pipes and skylights, and replace if needed. Shingle roofs should be checked for loose, damaged or missing shingles.

“Ice dams are a big problem in the Midwest due to improperly insulated attics,” Gherghiceanu said. “Have a roofing professional inspect the attic and roof and make any necessary repairs before the cold weather arrives.”

Since you are making preparations for winter weather, remember to replace the batteries in your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors. Having a fire extinguisher in the kitchen is a good idea. Place it inside of a cabinet near the sink.

Follow these tips to help ensure your surviving another cold winter. And remember spring will eventually arrive.