Quick and easy winter upgrades for the exterior of your house
The inexpensive upgrades to the exterior of your house listed below will help to boost your home’s value, will be easy on the wallet, and could save you money in the future.
Protect your pipes
Pipes can burst from frozen water, which can cause flood damage and result in unwanted repair bills. You can prevent this from happening by insulating your basement and crawl spaces to protect the pipes from extreme temperatures. When temperatures drop below zero, allow your tap to drip slightly to keep water flowing and open any cabinet doors to help with warm airflow. Clear any gutters and drains to prevent them from clogging with debris, which can cause gutters to crack, ice to build up, and melting snow to leak into your basement.
Seal air leaks
Seal any air leaks from your windows and baseboards to keep as much warmth in as possible to conserve energy. If your door does not close properly, this could mean that you are losing air from the gaps between the door and walls or floor. Consider investing in a storm door, which has a strike plate that is adjustable and can be moved to prevent the door from blowing off its hinges during the bad weather. Attaching a door sweep made of either metal or rubber could also close any gaps between the floor and the bottom of the door.
Install an electric meter box
Electric meters measure how much electricity your home is using by tracking the kilowatts per hour, which is the unit of measurement used by electric companies to bill their customers. If the surrounding box is damaged, your meter could be vulnerable to the elements. As the old saying goes, when you look after things, they last; therefore, replacing the electric meter box could save you time, money and the effort of having to replace the meter sooner than expected in the long-run.
If you are on benefits and own or rent your home, you might be eligible for help with energy-saving home improvements under the Energy Company Obligation (ECO).
There are plenty of low-cost ways to protect your home this winter, enabling you to stay warm all season long and prevent any unwanted costs resulting from winter damage.
