3 Ways to Prepare Your Home For Winter

 

Temperatures may still be warm in Santa Barbara but cooler winter days are on the way. It pays to review your home and make sure you’re prepared for the winter season:

 

Unfortunately, three in five home fire deaths are the result of fires in homes without smoke alarms or with no working smoke alarms. Oftentimes, this is due to intentional device deactivation. Instead of getting frustrated at your beeping alarm, make sure the batteries are working now or install new alarms where needed. You should have a smoke alarm on every floor of your house and in every bedroom.

 

Furnace maintenance. 

Is your furnace in working order? You don’t want to find out the answer to that question when the temperature really drops. Schedule a maintenance appointment from a certified technician to ensure that everything is functioning and that your furnace will be operating efficiently. The tech should also measure to see if there’s any carbon-monoxide leakage from your furnace.

 

Stop the leaks. 

Drafty doors and windows are not only a huge annoyance, they’re also costly. Why pay all that money to just let the heat escape? You can find problem areas by running your hands close to windows and trying to feel a breeze. Use a quality silicon caulk or weather stripping to seal up any leaks. If you notice a draft on an exterior door, consider installing a door sweep.