Thank Your for the emails and comments on the GCR/HEC home winterizing series. I hope this series show that DIY (do it yourself) isn’t as scary as the pros make it sound. And that little tasks can add up to big savings. Our fifth installment deals with the exterior of the home.
Exterior Home Winterizing Tasks
1. Inspect and clean out your chimney – After years of use a chimney can get blocked and cause fires to start. Having it inspected every year or so for soot blockage or cracks on the inside of the house or outside of the house will help you avoid breathing in smoke, dangerous gases or even keep a brick or two from falling on your head.
2. Prepare firewood – If you have a wood burning stove or fireplace now is the perfect time to get that woodpile stacked and in order for the long winter months. You may want to cover your woodpile with a tarp to keep it dry for as long as possible, even in the middle of a snow storm.
3. Check and order heating oil – Do you have an oil furnace? Consider having your tank inspected and think about purchasing heating oil now, before the prices go up when it is in high demand in the middle of a cold snap.
4. Put up your Christmas lights – Notice I said put them up, not turn them on. If you like to decorate your home with Christmas lights take advantage of the mild fall weather and put up your Christmas lights now. This way you avoid spending an afternoon trying to hang lights in the bitter cold of December and you can show up your neighbors by turning your lights on right after Thanksgiving! And, hey, don’t forget your can use your Christmas lights throughout the year for other uses as well.
5. Winterize your gas grill – There isn’t too much you necessarily need to do to winterize a propane grill, though giving it a good cleaning and covering it well will go a long way to making next year’s grilling season much more enjoyable. You can grill food in the winter as well, but you’ll want to be careful because gas vents and valves can freeze and cause problems.
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