3 Ways to Prepare Your Home for Cold Weather

The leaves are falling, and the snowy winter season is just around the corner. As the temperature drops, it's time to start preparing your home for cold weather. Getting ready now can save you trouble when the first blizzard hits.

Below, you’ll find three essential tips to prepare for winter.

1. Seal and Insulate To Prevent Heat Loss

During winter, heating accounts for a substantial portion of home energy bills. Sealing air leaks is an easy way to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and keep you and your family warm.

Closing gaps around doors and windows with weather stripping or with caulk may require special equipment or professional help to access those hard-to-reach spots. I suggest focusing on areas that handy homeowners can easily and safely tackle, like around ground-level windows. Plan to call a professional for any other areas.

Proper insulation retains indoor heat, so it’s important to inspect attic, basement, wall, and pipe insulation. Add additional insulation — readily available at most home stores — if you find areas that feel drafty. Purchase draft stoppers on interior doors to prevent room-to-room heat loss. You can even make your own draft dodgers, a simple DIY project.

2. Get Your Fireplace Serviced Before Using It

Regular fireplace maintenance safeguards health, increases efficiency, and prevents costly repairs down the road. Don't skip this essential task. Annual fireplace maintenance prevents issues like failures or chimney fires.

Note that maintenance may require tall ladders or rooftop access. Avoid attempting this if you’re uncomfortable with heights or unable to safely reach your chimney. In this case, it’s a good idea to hire a professional chimney sweep for maintenance and to inspect it before the first annual use. They can ensure that your chimney is sound, ventilated, and creosote-free.

When you make your first fire in the fireplace, be sure to use only well-seasoned firewood that has been dry for at least six months. Wet wood smolders inefficiently and creates excess smoke. Store seasoned logs nearby and protect them from precipitation.

Be sure to close the flue tightly when not in use to prevent energy loss.

3. Stock up Before Heavy Snow

Don't risk running out of toiletries, food, or other essentials if you get snowed in for days. Keep an emergency stockpile of essentials in case a storm limits store access.

Have a two-week supply of shelf-stable food, water, healthcare items, and paper goods on hand. It’s also a good idea to stock cold-weather gear like ice melt, rock salt, sand, shovels, and warm blankets. Get flashlights, batteries, candles, and games, which are handy during outages.

If you or someone in your household has a medical generator, be sure to get it inspected pre-winter. Store enough fuel to power refrigerators, chargers, and heaters for five to seven days.

So, Is Preparing for Winter Worth It?

Without advance preparation, winter storms can cause costly damage. However, spending time sealing windows and organizing emergency supplies pays off in safety, savings, and peace of mind.

Weatherproofing can’t guarantee perfection, but it significantly lowers your chances of having frozen pipes, drafts, fires, injuries, high utility bills, and supply shortages when adversity strikes. In short, preparing now helps ensure your household stays safe, warm, and reasonably comfortable — no matter how cold it gets.

FAQs About Winter Prep

How early should I start preparing for winter?

Start in early fall, six to eight weeks before your area’s average first frost. This gives you time for weatherizing projects, inspections, contractor visits, and gradual grocery stockpiling.

Which spots should I target when sealing drafts?

Prioritize gaps with airflow between heated interior and unheated exterior areas. Focus on spaces around windows, doors, attic hatches, outlets, pipes, vents, fireplaces, basement rims, and crawl space vents. Caulk, spray foam or add weather stripping to plug leaks.

How do I know if my fireplace is safe to use?

Warning signs include cracks, crumbling mortar/panels/liners, creosote buildup, stuck dampers, and exterior debris. Schedule a pre-season inspection by a certified professional. They’ll examine your fireplace thoroughly and decide if your system is safe or needs specific repairs.

What emergency supplies do I need for multi-day storms?

Critical items include food, water, medications, blankets, batteries, flashlights, chargers, cash, alternate heat, shovel/de-icer, generator, fuel if relevant, and pet supplies. Check and replenish your stockpile each fall.