15 Step Checklist for a Safe, Warm Winter Home

The 5 Professionals We Interviewed About Winter Home Maintenance

The great thing about being a 24/7 home management service is our access to expert home contractors and repair companies. Our research team spends hundreds of hours per year researching, selecting and partnering with the top service providers.

We leaned on the expertise of 5 home contractors to help create this winter maintenance checklist:

• Plumbing Expert: Anthony Morgan, Aubrey Plumbing
• Roofing Expert: Travis Jones, Smart Roof and Home Performance
• Gutter Repair Expert: Mike Solano, Dallas Window and Gutter Cleaning
• Lawn Care Expert: Jake O'Brien, North Dallas Landscapes
• Foundation Expert: Rodrigo Duenas, FCS Foundation and Concrete Services

Our conversations with these contractors, combined with HOMR's service history, helped us establish a 15 step guide to fully winterize your home — interior and exterior.

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Your Ultimate 15 Step Winter Home Maintenance Checklist

The 5 Things You Must Check Indoors Before Winter Arrives

Check All Your Smoke Detectors and Carbon Monoxide Detectors

The first step in every winter seasonal maintenance checklist is to check every smoke detector and carbon monoxide detector in your home. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) reports that almost half of all home fires (46%) take place from December through February. 

Here are the 4 leading causes of home fires caused by heating equipment:

1. Space Heaters (44%)
2. Fireplace or Chimney (29%)
3. Central Heating (12%)
4. Water Heater (10%)

Put a new battery in all of your home's smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. It's a small price to pay for peace of mind. HOMR also recommends keeping a fire extinguisher in your home in case of emergency.

Inspect For Gaps in Your Home Insulation

Proper insulation of your home's walls, attic, basement and crawl spaces can save up to 50% on your winter energy costs. 

Feel for any “cold spots” along your walls — these indicate gaps or tears in insulation. Visually spot-check your attic and basement for insulation that needs to be replaced.

Check these 3 components of your insulation in the fall:

1. All your home insulation should be 10" to 14" deep.
2. Replace any tears or gaps in your home insulation.
3. Consider dry lining to add an extra layer of insulation to your walls.

Properly Seal Your Windows and Doors

Check your windows and doors for air leaks to prevent the flow of cold air into your home. If you don't want to pay a professional to seal these leaks, use caulk or weatherstripping around the edges of your doors and windows.

Check your door stoppers and saddles to ensure they fit snugly, as door materials can contract in cold weather. 

HOMR Tip: If your winters are particularly cold, place a layer of clear plastic over your windows. You'll lower overall home heat loss by 10-20% and save money on winter energy bills.

Reverse Your Ceiling Fan Direction

We all know that warm air rises. Did you know that reversing the direction of your ceiling fan is a simple, totally free solution to that problem?

Reverse your ceiling fans and they'll coax cool air toward the ceiling, pushing warm air down into your living space. This is an especially helpful trick if your home has high ceilings.

Almost every ceiling fan has a direction switch located on the side of the fan base. Flip the switch to change the fan’s direction — make sure to turn the power off first.

Worried About a Power Outage? Invest in a Generator

If you experience multiple power outages during winter storms, a home generator is an excellent investment. It keeps your heat on and continues the flow of power to your appliances. This protects your access to warm water and keeps the food in your refrigerator fresh.

If cost is a concern, Consumer Reports suggests a large portable generator to heat your home. Prices start at $1,000, compared to $2,000-$6,000 for whole-home generators.

Get Outdoors And Handle These 6 Winter Home Maintenance Projects

Trim Back Those Pesky Tree Limbs

Cut back tree limbs and overgrown shrubs — especially ones that hang over your roof line and gutters. Dangling tree limbs can break and crash onto your roof during a winter storm, causing heavy damage and costly repairs. (And who wants a big hole in their roof during the coldest time of the year?)

The average roof replacement costs between $8,000 and $15,000. It costs about $450 for a full tree trimming project, and $100-200 for just a few problematic branches. 

With snow, ice, and hail damage on the horizon, your roof has enough to worry about in the winter — don't add falling tree limbs to the mix.

Did You Know? You only have 365 days to file an insurance claim after hail damage. Schedule a roof inspection and assessment immediately to get a quote.

Winterize Your Sprinkler System

The task sounds simple: make sure all the water is completely out of your outdoor sprinkler system. But you're not just clearing the sprinkler heads and visible parts of the system — the lines must be completely free of water before the ground freezes.

Even if you have your own air compressor, we suggest leaving this job to landscape professionals to ensure a thorough job. It's not worth the risk — Forbes notes the average cost to repair frozen sprinklers is $150-350.

Turn Off Your Outdoor Water Flow

Make sure the water is turned off for all your outdoor faucets. Disconnect hoses and drain any remaining water from the faucets to prevent the units from freezing.

Buy foam faucet covers from a big box home renovation store and place them over your outdoor faucets.

Forgetting to turn off your outdoor water flow leads to frozen faucets, burst pipes, and leaks in your walls and near your foundation.

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Winterize Your Sump Pump and Exterior Drains

It's necessary to unclog any exterior drains before winter, especially if you have a sump pump. We turned to the experts at American Family Insurance for some helpful tips to winterize your sump pump:

• Bury the sump pump hose 4-6 inches below the frost line.
• Install a battery powered backup in the event of a power outage.
• Remove the sump pump discharge hose before cold weather hits.
• Never entirely unplug your pump, even when it's not in use.
• Test your pump throughout the winter.

If your exterior drain is already frozen, try running hot salt water through the line — do so carefully, as water may initially back up into the house. This repair job is generally best left to a professional.

Get Your Chimney Cleaned

A chimney blockage sends smoke and soot billowing through your home. If you rely on a fireplace to help heat your home, schedule a chimney cleaning and inspection during the fall months to avoid these issues.

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) recommends homeowners have their chimneys cleaned and inspected once per year by a professional.

Schedule One Last Gutter Cleaning

If you haven't cleaned your gutters this year, do so before the winter months. Any blockages in your gutter system will result in damage to your roof, fascia, siding, and/ or foundation — but your primary winter goal is to prevent ice dams.

An ice dam forms when snow melts off your roof and the water enters your gutters, where it freezes again. After several cycles, the ice will begin creeping under your shingles. This causes two major problems:

1. Water begins seeping into your attic, causing water damage to your roof and walls.
2. Your gutters cannot support the weight of the ice dam and tear away from your home.

A clean gutter system helps you avoid ice dams forming along your roof line.

Preventative measures like gutter guards are an excellent start to a clean gutter system. But experts like Mike Solano from Dallas Window and Gutter Cleaning still recommend an annual maintenance check to remove leaves and debris. 

“Think of gutters as preventative maintenance,” Mike says. “Get them done right once, and all your other exterior home costs go down for 20+ years.”

Get a free quote on gutter cleaning from HOMR with no signup required!

Keep the Warm Air Flowing With These 4 Winter HVAC Tips

Schedule an Inspection of Your Pipes

The good news? More Americans take steps to prevent their pipes from freezing than any other winter home maintenance task. The not-so-great news: according to ValueHippo, 46% of homeowners still don't. 

A frozen pipe can burst, leading to costly repairs for water damage to your drywall, flooring, and even your foundation. The average frozen pipe repair job costs $1,000 — the Dallas Morning News reported burst pipe repair costs soaring as high as $10,000 last winter.

Schedule a thorough inspection of your pipes with a trusted plumber. They'll make sure your pipes are properly insulated to handle heat loss during the winter months.

Want to take your own steps to protect your pipes? Learn how to prevent pipes from freezing with our handy HOMR guide.

Prep Your Water Heater

Take these 3 steps to prepare your water heater for winter:

1. Visual check. Look for signs of corrosion or rust, which may indicate a leak. 
2. Temperature check. Make sure the thermostat is properly set — the EPA recommends your home's hot water be roughly 120°F. If your water is too hot or cold, adjust your water heater thermostat accordingly.
3. Drain your storage tank. Drain your water heater storage tank once a year to remove minerals and sediments. HOMR recommends hiring a professional plumber for this task — the water is extremely hot.

Check Your Home Heating System and Change Your Furnace Filters

The average cost of a new furnace is over $4,700, according to U.S. News and World Report. By comparison, an annual furnace maintenance call costs $100-200. We'll take that value proposition 100% of the time.

Ask your HVAC contractor or furnace specialist to check the following 4 things:

1. Check Belts and Bearings
2. Inspect Heat Exchanger (Carbon Monoxide Check)
3. Check for Proper Air Flow
4. Specific Gas and Electric Maintenance

You should replace your furnace's air filter every 30-60 days to maintain a clean air flow through your home. Make sure to change the filter in November to prepare for the upcoming cold months.

Read more about proper furnace maintenance in our recent furnace repair guide.

Change Air Filters and Clear HVAC Ducts

While we're on the subject of clean air filters, make sure to change all the air filters in your home before winter. The average American spends over 90% of their time indoors during the winter. With shedding pets, fireplace smoke and more foot traffic indoors, brand new air filters keep your living space healthy and breathable.

Improve your home's air quality even further and schedule an HVAC service call to clear your air ducts. They'll clear dust, pollutants and pet dander out and let fresh air in.