Through these tasks and projects, stay warm and safe this winter-and prevent the weather from causing damage to your home.

Amy Fontinelle edited by Chris Jennings November 11, 2021 updated

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If you are not prepared, the winter weather may cause difficulties for your home. But by handling some critical tasks, you can usually avoid costly damage and prevent premature wear.

Even if you live in a milder climate, you need to check the list below. Check out which home adjustment tasks you might want to perform now to keep your home clean, safe, and comfortable on the coldest and darkest days of the year.

Before winter arrives, here are 14 tasks to complete:

It is wise to hire a professional to check your heating system before the onset of cold weather. They will perform routine maintenance that you may not have time for, such as replacing air filters, vacuum cleaners, and cleaning the room and surrounding dirt and debris that might impair its functionality.

They will also check for leaks, identify obstacles, lubricate moving parts, look for signs of corrosion, and often use their expertise to extend the life of the system and minimize the possibility of failure on the coldest days of the year .

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Carbon monoxide is a dangerous, odorless gas that can send you to the emergency room and even cause your death. When you are actually poisoned by carbon monoxide, you may think you have the flu. If you are sleeping, you may not experience any symptoms before it is too late. Pets are also susceptible.

Pay attention to these warnings from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and make sure you have working carbon monoxide detectors installed everywhere in your home, especially near sleeping areas. They are important throughout the year, especially in winter. Oil and gas furnaces, fireplaces, and generators can cause toxic CO to accumulate in your home.

If you want to go all out, you can hire a professional to test the blower door. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, this test can locate leaks that you may not know about, and determine where more insulating materials can be used in your home.

It’s also good to find leaks yourself. Houses tend to leak air in places that are easy for you to check: around doors and windows, power outlets, skirting boards, ducts, vents, and any other places where there are holes in the walls or connections between inside and outside. Focus on repairing the largest leaks through caulking and weather strips.

Check out other simple projects: 18 home improvement projects you can complete in one day

In addition to sealing leaks, adding insulation to your home can help you maintain a more comfortable temperature while using less energy. Basements, attics, walls, and other areas where your living space connects to the outdoors or non-air-conditioned spaces (such as attached garages) are suitable for more insulation, especially in older houses.

Hiring professionals will cost more upfront costs, but may be rewarded with better results. Experts can assess where additional insulating materials make the biggest difference, how much you need, and the best type to use. They can also install it correctly to make sure it works.

If you have old windows, especially single-layer windows, you know that they are not good at keeping your home warm or reducing outside noise in winter. Sometimes, they are also unattractive.

Replacing every window in your home can be an expensive project (you may want to finance with a house renovation loan), and it may take years to pay back the investment. But at the same time, in the long run, you can save on heating and cooling costs, make your home more comfortable, and increase the value of your property.

Tip: If you want to reduce costs, consider replacing a window in a room (such as a bedroom) where you can most notice the difference. According to HomeAdvisor, depending on the type and size, the homeowner may spend between US$300 and US$1,200 for a new window, plus another US$150 to US$800 in installation costs.

For Energy Star rated windows purchased before December 31, 2021, you can apply for a federal tax credit of up to $200.

Insulating bare pipes is a simple and inexpensive project that most able-bodied homeowners can do on their own. The cost of 6-foot foam tube insulation provided by a large home improvement retailer was less than US$5. Installing it is as simple as sliding the insulating material onto the pipe and taped to the seam.

This project can reduce your hot water costs, but the real savings lies in preventing pipe bursts and water damage to your house during cold weather. You also need to disconnect the garden hose and put the insulating cover on the outdoor faucet.

The smart thermostat also allows you to monitor and control the temperature in your home through your smartphone, even if you are not in the city, it can also help prevent pipe bursts. You can find high-quality smart thermostats with prices ranging from US$100 to US$250.

Smart thermostats rated by Energy Star can help you save more on heating and cooling costs. They also provide convenient features such as voice activation, occupancy sensing, and energy usage monitoring.

Spend less: Your power company or city may offer discounts on eligible smart thermostats, thereby reducing your overall costs. Check online or contact your electricity supplier to see if there are offers you can take advantage of.

A programmable thermostat that is not connected to WiFi can also reduce your energy use. They cost less, about $30 to $90, but you may spend more time adjusting settings based on your schedule and weather changes.

To install a new thermostat, you may need to hire an electrician or HVAC technician, but some devices are simple and you can install them yourself.

If you have an older electric water heater, properly installing an insulation blanket made specifically for this purpose can save you money. Insulation will reduce some of the heat emitted by the water tank into the surrounding air, especially if your water tank is located in an unconditional space such as a garage or outer cabinet.

The job is not complicated, but you may need a helper. Ask your power company: they may come out to do this for you. Consumables will cost about $30, but this work can be paid off after the first year.

You can run the ceiling fan at low speed to make your home more comfortable and save energy in winter. Just push a small switch on the fan (or fan remote control) and the blades will rotate clockwise.

Changing the direction of the blades helps to pull cold air up from the floor and push warm air down from the ceiling. You can use a stepladder and good balance to complete this task yourself.

Warning: Do not try this task with a fan on a high ceiling: it is not only dangerous, but it will not bring you any benefit.

Professional inspection and possibly cleaning of fireplaces and chimneys before the first use each year is a critical safety task. No one wants to build up smoke, carbon monoxide poisoning or chimney fire in their living space.

In other words, you may want to avoid burning wood at home altogether. The chemicals and ultrafine particles in wood smoke may cause life-threatening health problems. If you prefer to sit by the fire, consider professional conversion to a cleaner burning gas fireplace.

Winter storms may cut you out of power for several days and make roads unsafe. When you are sheltering at home, the insulation and leak sealing suggested above can indeed help solve this situation.

Here are some items you need to take with you in a winter emergency:

Free-flowing gutters protect your house from water intrusion and moisture damage. When your drains are blocked by debris, they will not work properly: rain and melted snow cannot flow through them and may freeze, while the weight of the ice can cause your drains to sag and pull away from the edge of the roof. Blocked drains can also contribute to harmful ice dams on the roof.

If you have a single-story house and a sturdy ladder, you may consider cleaning your drains yourself. Otherwise, the safety hazard of falling off the ladder is too great. Give the task to professionals. According to HomeAdvisor, you can pay about US$90 to US$225 to clean the gutters of a two-story house.

Interesting idea: 16 quick weekend projects to increase the curb appeal of your home

Roof inspections before the winter weather can avoid water damage caused by water leaks. And professionals are usually the best choice for this job. Not only do you have to avoid falling from the roof, but you are most likely not trained to identify potential weaknesses, such as loose or missing waterproofing panels and poor sealing around vents.

If your roof is in very bad condition, it may be time to replace it. According to data from HomeAdvisor, the national average cost of new asphalt shingles including installation is approximately US$8,500. If you want to use higher-end shingles, need to replace the rotting roof floor, or decide to increase ventilation, the cost may be higher.

Tip: In this case, it makes sense to obtain home equity through a home equity loan or line of credit, because protecting your home from damage is crucial.

Most of us do not observe our trees carefully on a regular basis. Even if we did, we might not know when they became ill, weak or otherwise threatened our home. The worst-case scenario is that a tree that collapsed during a winter storm knocks down from the roof, causing expensive damage and exposing your house to the natural environment.

In order to avoid unstable trees or large branches that may be broken due to winter weather causing damage to your house and yourself, please hire an arborist. These well-trained tree experts can help prevent problems and assess the damage that may be caused after the storm.

Read more: 10 ways to create an elegant outdoor space

If you are worried about paying for some of the higher-priced items on this list, cash refinancing may be a good solution. Mortgage interest rates are close to historical lows, and home values ​​across the country are rising.

By replacing your existing mortgage with a new, cheaper mortgage and cashing out part of your equity, you can also incorporate some important household items into your budget.

Credible can easily compare mortgage refinancing options. You can view the interest rates of all our partner lenders without leaving our platform. Check the table below to get started.

Amy Fontinelle is a mortgage and credit card agency and a contributor to Credible. Her work has appeared in Forbes Advisor, The Motley Fool, Investopedia, International Business Times, MassMutual and other magazines.

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