When the Weather Outside Is Frightful: 8 Clever Tricks That’ll Help You Winterize Your Home

Did you know that winter storms cost the U.S. economy billions of dollars each year?

Sorry if that gives you yet another reason for the winter blues. The good news is that you don’t have to just sit and take it.

There are plenty of clever tricks to winterize your home for the season ahead. You can protect your home against the snow and storms heading your way this winter.

If you want to know how to winterize your home, check out our 8 clever tricks and shrewd tips below. Let’s go!

1. Get De-Icing Roof Cables

The edge of your shingles and gutters along roof can become frozen during the winter months. This could result in expensive damage to your roof. 

However, you can prevent ice from forming on around your roof by buying de-icing roof cable. Then, if you hear of news that there is a winter storm heading in your direction, you can turn on the cables.

De-icing roof cables can significantly reduce the damage caused to your roof even in the worse of weathers.

2. Draft Proof Your Home

Did you know that you can reduce heat loss in your home by up to 30 percent by ensuring there are no air leakages in your home?

In particular, you can need to ensure windows and doors are properly sealed from the winds outdoors. 

If you’re not sure how to detect whether you have any air leakages, wait until it’s windy outside and put candles around your home. If there is an air leak near the candle, naturally, it’ll be blown out.

Once you’ve discovered the spots of air leakage, caulk and weatherstrip the leaks. This can ensure your home remains warm in the coldest months.

However, before you can ensure that you keep the heat in your home, make sure you have prepared your heating system for winter. You can read more about how to prepare your oil tank for the winter here. 

3. Buy a Humidifier

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, you need to keep the humidity in your home below 50 percent. Ideally, you want to keep your home below 30 percent to remain comfortable.

By reducing the humidity of the home, you prevent skin discomfort and irritation and breathing difficulties in people.

You need to purchase a humidifier. If you select the stove pot humidifier, you’ll also be able to keep your home warm and cozy for longer.

Do you want to keep your home smelling fresh and clean? You can add cinnamon sticks, lavender flowers or lemon juice to the humidifier to spread the pleasant scent.

4. Hot Water Bottles

People have been using hot water to keep warm for centuries. It’s a tried and tested cure to cold weather.

Once you discover the joys of hot water bottles during the winter, you never go back to sleep without one.

Some people prefer to spread a few hot water bottles around their bed so that when they get into bed it’s already warm. Other people choose to cuddle the hot water bottle while they go to sleep.

A hot water bottle is definitely a great way of keeping warm over the winter. However, be careful not to scald yourself when you’re preparing them, they can be rather dangerous.

5. Start Your Fire with Orange Peel

The best thing about winter is surely Christmas time.

Have you ever wondered about the tradition of putting oranges in stockings? They symbolize the pieces of gold St. Nicolas tossed down the chimney on every house. 

You can recreate the orange down the chimney experience by starting your fire with some leftover orange peel.

The orange skins contain the oil which can provide the fuel to get your fire started. After drying out the orange peel, shove them into a paper bag to throw onto the fire. 

The best thing about this trick is that the entire home will smell like tasty oranges. 

6. Install a Smart Meter

Did you know that nearly 50 percent of U.S. households have smart meters installed already? This number is set to increase significantly over the next few years. 

It has already been proven to help you to save money on your energy bills. You can set the thermostat at the temperature you want depending on the time of the day and year.

You can purchase a smart meter from $50. While the average savings for U.S. households is $180 per year.

7. Reverse Switch Your Ceiling Fans

Have you ever wondered what the reverse switch on your ceiling fan actually does? 

You can turn your fans clockwise during the winter months. This allows your fan to push down the warm air to circulate around the room. 

This is an excellent little trick to save you a little extra on your energy bills this winter. 

8. Put a Sweater on

You may be concentrating on how to winterize your home. But, sometimes, you need to winterize yourself.

If you’re the kind of person that enjoys sitting around the home in your underwear, you need to change your ways if you want to save on energy bills.

If you throw on a light sweater you could increase your body temperature by up to 2 degrees. While if you go for a big and heavy sweater, you could add 4 degrees to your body’s temperature.

More Ways to Winterize Your Home

The winter months can be awful if your home is not prepared. But by following our tips and tricks you can winterize your home in time.

Make sure you plan for the colder season before it’s too late. Some of our tips require a few months of preparation.  

If you want to discover more weird and smart ideas for improving the energy efficiency of your home, check out more tips for making your home energy efficient.

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