Weatherproofing your house can save you money on heating costs, and it can keep your house in better condition. It does not take much time to do some last-minute weatherproofing, and it is so simple.

After you read this article, you will know exactly how to keep your house nice and toasty warm this winter while also preventing damage to your home caused by the harsh weather that can rear its ugly head during the winter months.

Locate the Water Main

If you do not already know where it is, it is important for you to locate your water main before the temperatures drop. This way, you will be prepared to quickly shut it off in the event of a pipe-freezing emergency.

Typically, the water main is located in a back storage area of your house.

Insulate Exposed Pipes 

If your home has any exposed pipes, such as in the attic, basement, or on the outside of the house, it is a good idea to insulate them to keep the pipes from freezing and bursting. 

You can pick up a material to insulate them from your local home improvement store. It is incredibly easy to install the insulation, and it can save you from a huge headache in the future.

Seal Windows and Doors

You can really help trap the heat inside your home (and keep the frigid weather outside) by effectively sealing the windows and doors. Make sure there are no cracks around your windows, and if there are, use caulk to seal them up. 

Also, if you have storm windows that you took off for the warmer months, make sure to reinstall them. You can also put plastic around all of your windows. 

You can apply a weather strip at the bottom of your exterior-facing doors to significantly reduce the amount of cold air that gets into your home as well.

Drain Everything 

To avoid the water freezing and causing damage during the coldest days of winter, you should drain your garden hose before detaching it from the spigot, drain your sprinkler system of water, and drain your air conditioner.

Clean the Gutters 

Cleaning out your gutters is important all year round to avoid having issues with them, but it is even more important to do this before winter comes. 

Gutters can get weighed down when they are filled with too much debris, and if this is the case during the winter, this debris and any extra water can freeze and make your gutters even heavier.

If your gutters get too much weight in them, they can start sagging and even cause damage to the parts of your house where they are attached. 

Thus, you should make sure your gutters are totally cleared out before the snow starts flying.

Chimney

If you plan to use your fireplace this winter, it is vital that you clear out soot and creosote from it to prevent a raging chimney fire from happening. You can hire a professional to take care of this or attempt it yourself.

You can also put a cap on your chimney to keep the chilly air from traveling through it.