As the saying goes: “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Christine McKenny of Dave Perry-Miller & Associates has compiled a list of tips to properly winterize your home and to save money and prevent costly repairs during extreme winter weather.  

• Make sure that your windows and doors are properly sealed by checking the weather stripping. Weather stripping and caulking around windows and doors will prevent heat from escaping during winter. 

• Have your furnace serviced to make sure that it is running properly and safely. 

• Check the duct work where it is exposed and add insulation. This helps keep the heated air warm as it moves through unheated spaces under the house or in the attic. 

• Reverse the direction on your ceiling fans. This will push hot air down and help it recirculate throughout the house.

• Shut the door on rooms you don't use regularly. 

• Clear gutters to allow rain and melting snow to properly drain. 

• Cold weather can be an issue for exposed pipes. To protect your pipes, wrap and insulate them with heating tape. You may also want to purchase gray foam pipe covers. 

• Let inside water faucets drip when a hard freeze is in the forecast. In addition, it is suggested to leave your cabinet doors open. This will allow the heat from the room to reach the pipes under the sink. 

• Winter storms can be powerful enough to knock down tree branches. Trim branches that hang over your home or look like they could snap. 

• Before winter arrives, have your chimney checked. Old chimneys and disintegrating grout can be a fire hazard.

• Make sure to keep your home's temperature at 65 degrees or higher to prevent pipes from freezing.

• Use a fall fertilizer to keep your yard in good shape throughout the winter.