3 Ways to Winterize Your North Atlanta Home

3 Ways to Winterize Your North Atlanta Home

It’s hard to believe freezing temperatures are already on the way here in Atlanta. With winter just around the corner, it’s important to make sure your home is properly winterized. This seasonal maintenance will not only preserve the value of your north Atlanta home, but will also help prevent winter home repair headaches.

Clean gutters

If your home is surrounded by trees, your gutters can quickly fill up with leaves and other organic debris. In cold weather, water can get trapped behind those “leaf dams” and freeze, damaging your roof and even seeping into your home. Once there is water leaking in to your warm house, you could end up with a mold problem. Avoid all that by simply having your gutters cleaned at the end of fall.

Conserve energy

Think all those little drafts in your home don’t amount to much? Think again! All together, the air leaks in the average American home amount to having a nine square foot hole in the wall! Whether you hire a local home repair company to seal your home or do it yourself with a caulk gun, sealing up cracks around windows, doors, and electrical outlets will conserve energy and save money on your heating bill.

You may also want to add some insulation to your home and have the ductwork checked. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, homes with central air can lose 60% of heated air before it reaches the vents if the ductwork is not properly connected and insulated. Even just adding insulation can decrease your annual heating and cooling bill by as much as 20%.

Warm up

Temperatures in Marietta and throughout north Atlanta are expected to dip into the twenties next week, so go ahead and check your heater. Better to find out it needs repairs now than when you’re already freezing!

If your home features a fireplace, make sure it has proper maintenance. Have it swept and inspected by a certified chimney sweep, and consider installing a screened cap to ensure that nothing gets lodged in the chimney. When not using the fireplace, close the damper to prevent the loss of warm air.

Keeping up with the seasonal maintenance on your home will result in less stress for you and a well-preserved home that will be much easier to sell if you decide to list it.