Brrrrr!!! Winter's Coming!

Realtors say it's time to get your house ready for cold weather

Fall cleaning may have been a thing of the past, but it shouldn't be.

Taking care of your home, especially before cold weather hits, can only help protect you and your home's value, says the Peoria Area Association of Realtors.

Below are common sense precautions you can take now before the onset of another Illinois winter:

Winterize Your Home
• Check shutters, siding, and other exterior materials to ensure they're secure. High winds, ice and moisture from snow storms can easily unravel elements that are loose.

• Be sure that gutters are clear of debris.

• Caulk drafty windows and apply weather stripping to doors. Both are inexpensive home improvements that can keep heat in your home.

Watch Your Roof
• Consider roof heating cables to prevent ice dams on roofs and in gutters. They emit a low level of electric-powered heat and prevent ice from blocking gutters and downspouts. These cables can also help prevent accumulating snow from putting damaging weight on the roof.

• Well-ventilated attics, which release warm air and melt ice, can also reduce the risk of ice dams.

Winterize Pipes
• Be sure your pipes, especially those exposed or in unheated areas like crawl spaces, are wrapped in insulation to prevent freezing and bursting.

• Learn where your water shut-off valves are so you can turn off the water supply in case of a leak.

Trim Tree Branches
• Keep trees trimmed and remove those that are weak to prevent them from falling on or near your home. Branches that overhang roofs or areas where you park a car represent a risk to structures, vehicles, and people.

• Tree trimming and removal can be dangerous so don't attempt it on your own unless you are experienced.

Protect Yourself
• Shovels and rock salt are a must after a major snow storm. Stock up early in the season, as these items tend to be in short supply before a well-publicized storm.

• You should also have enough fuel to maintain heat in your home for an extended period of time. Also have a backup heating source such as firewood for a working fireplace or a generator to power heaters in case of power failure.

• Keep extra blankets, warm clothing, and enough food and water to sustain your family in case of a power outage. And, always have a transistor radio with fresh batteries on hand to keep you updated on news and information.

The Global Warming Solutions Group of Central Illinois offered tips, as well, on its website:
www.gwsolutionsgroup.com.

They include:
• Install a programmable thermostat if you haven't already. When you are away all day, there is little reason to keep the thermostat set at the same temperature that you do when
you are at home. Set the thermostat lower during those hours and raise it up when you return.

• Caulk your exterior windows. Every few years remove old, cracked caulk around your windows and re-caulk to tighten up the air seal.

• If you have a fireplace that you do not use, have it closed up to prevent the hot air from escaping up the chimney!

• Electrical outlets along outer walls of the home typically do not contain any insulation. For a few dollars, you can purchase a pack of foam insulators that sit directly behind the cover plate of outlets and wall switches.

• Replacing dirty furnace filters and sealing air ducts can save as much as 10 percent on your heating bills.

• If there are rooms in your house that you do not use, then why pay to have them heated with the rest of the house? By closing the vent and sealing the door, you can avoid paying to heat unused space.

• During the day, open the curtains and allow the sun to warm the house. Be sure to close them at night to help insulate the room from cold creeping through the windows.

• Be sure furniture and curtains are not blocking the air flow from registers.

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