Winterizing your home ~ Southern Style...

Home winterizing ~ southern style

Well we’re full fledged into fall as we turned our calendars to November - as summer slowly creeps away from us and we watch squirrels dashing around like crazy... We start to change our attitudes and our daily routines. It's a time to start to think about getting ready and winterizing your home...

Now living in Raleigh NC and getting ready for winter is nothing like what we did up in Montreal. Up north there's a lot more home winterizing and hunkering down than here. One thing we all remember is bringing in the wood and cording it for the wood stove to keep us warm.

But there are still some customs that we go through. Like sorting through winter clothes we bring out of storage and deciding which we'll be able to use in the coming months and which would be better given to goodwill.

Then there's the let's see how long we can hold out before turning on the heat!! I usually win that one as I'm the hot blooded one in our family...

There are some good tips that we would be frugal in heeding even here in the south to winterize a house. So I thought I'd share some thoughts of things to do as you're getting ready to settle in for a long winters nap... oh - sorry I was getting carried away there..

Hope you enjoy the coming months - it's my favorite time of the year!

Thoughts & tips on getting ready for winter & winterizing your home

• Check battery-powered equipment - flashlight(s), portable radio and/or TV. Keep additional, fresh batteries for each.
• Have your furnace checked. Check heating fuel supplies. Do not allow fuel to get low because, in snowy or icy weather, fuel carriers may not be able to reach you.
• Check attic and basement insulation
• Caulk or weather-strip doors and windows. Make sure windows are closed and sealed tightly
• Clean registers, vents and duct openings
• Keep some sand or ice-melting stuff on hand
• Have alternate heating source - fireplace, wood stove, space heater. Equipment should be approved for indoor use. **Properly ventilate room and use strict fire safety measures.
• Have fireplace cleaned/serviced by a professional before use.
• Keep space heaters at least three feet away from any combustible materials, including drapes, carpeting and furniture.
• Do not drape gloves, socks, or other clothing over a space heater to dry.
• Keep children and pets away from heating equipment.
• Fuel-filled equipment should be filled outdoors when completely cooled.
• Have a fire extinguisher near each heating source.
• Assemble an emergency supplies kit (enough for at least three days) remember to include:

1. Extra supplies of high energy food and food requiring no cooking or refrigeration (Suggestion for canned foods: 10 cans per person)
2. Non-electric can opener
3. Bottled water (one gallon per person per day)
4. Extra warm clothing
5. Extra blankets or sleeping bags
6. First aid kit, including all essential medications

We love our milder North Carolina winters... one of the benefits of living in the south. But winterizing your home, getting ready for the cooler season, and being practical about our preparations takes priority this time of the year even in the South!

Do you have home winterizing routines or tips that you could share with us? We’d love to hear about them... and if you’re planning on buying or selling a home in the next couple of months we’ll be ready to show ways to buy a house, even in the winter!