Preparing Your Home for the Cooler Westchester Weather

Now that fall is officially on its way to Westchester, it’s time to prepare your home for cooler weather. These steps will help lower your utility bills and protect your investment. Start winterizing buildings in the summer. The cost of heating your property can take a big bite out of your paycheck very quickly.

1. Check for rotting wood. Replacing this now will help avoid problems in wet weather. Look up at all the areas around the roof & windows and down at the areas around the landscape. Now is the best time to seal any bare wood before the cold/wet weather hits.

2. Power wash your exterior to remove the dirt now before it becomes worse. Paint and seal after washing.
3. Add more insulation to your attic, if you have one. Heat rises and will escape through a poorly insulated attic.
4. If your windows are old you may want to consider installing double-pane windows now. Korth & Shannahan Painting and Carpentry are Pella-certified window specialists.

5. Caulk cracks around windows and doors to eliminate drafts. Use water-resistant caulk on the outside of buildings.

6. Add weather stripping to doors and windows when winterizing buildings. Now is the best time to check and replace.
7. Install outlet gaskets to electric outlets located on outer walls. The gaskets will eliminate drafts when you prepare your house for winter.
8. Clean your furnace and replace the air filter. Dirty air filters clog the flow of air and could start a fire. Service your wood-burning stove. Have a professional chimney sweep come out to clean and inspect your wood stove when preparing your house for winter.
9. Clean out your rain gutters in the fall after the leaves have fallen. Leaves and other debris will clog your gutters, which could create an ice dam on your roof and damage both inside and out.
10. Close outside vents to your house as soon as it starts to get cold. Closing the vents will help winterize your home.

If you need help with any of your Westchester home projects, Korth & Shannahan Painting and Carpentry can service your home in Scarsdale, Chappaqua, Katonah, Bedford, Bronxville, or Armonk. Just give us a call for all your Westchester power washing, carpentry & painting needs at (914) 238-5388.