Home Improvement: Winterizing Your Home

I know, I know. No one wants to think about this yet, but guess what? Yep...it SHOULD feel like winter out now, but it doesn't. So, to begin our series of home improvement tips that we've found on the world wide web, here are some tips on winterizing your home.

We're not home improvement gurus, but Bob Vila is, and we went right to his website to find out how to properly winterize your home, especially if you're on a budget.

Clean Your Gutters: Get all of the leftover Fall leaves out so water can flow freely. If your gutters are clogged, masses of ice can form and create an ice dam on your roof, which in turn can damage your gutters and your shingles. That could cause a few 'spendy' problems.

Reverse Your Ceiling Fans: Most ceiling fans have a switch to reverse the direction of the blades. In the summer, you utilize your fans to cool you off when the blades are running counter-clockwise. BUT, in the winter you can reverse that to get warm air hanging out near the ceiling, pushed to where you can actually feel it.

Change Your Filters: There isn't an easier way to maintain the efficiency of your heating/cooling system than changing the filters. You should be doing this several times a year, but if you're like us, you always forget.

(Source: bobvila.com)