KNOWS FROM THE PROS Summer Ends... Winter is Coming: Protect Your (Home) Investment

SUMMER ENDS...

WINTER IS COMING: Protect Your Investment

by Sarah Lawson, Owner & President of S+H Construction

When we think of design, we usually think of the visual appeal of a space. But in New England, buildings can’t just be pretty, they have to be able to handle the weather. New England winters can be brutal. Not just cold but also damp, and if you happen to reside near the ocean, salty too. With heating costs continually on the rise, it’s time to batten down the hatches and make sure your home is as warm, winterized, and protected from the elements. Here are six tips on how to make your home ready for winter.

1 | SEAL YOUR WINDOWS If you have older windows, they may need some TLC before winter sets in to ensure they are airtight. You don't want any gaps where cold air

or moisture can seep in. This could mean caulking the window frame or resetting windowpanes in historical windows. Storm windows can also make all the difference in keeping the weather out. But if there is a steady draft coming in when the window is closed, it might be time to bite the bullet and do some window replacement or have them professionally repaired.

2 | FIND THE GAPS ON THE EXTERIOR Windows are the most obvious spots of heat leaks, but they’re not the only ones. Cracks and gaps in your home’s exterior can also affect the energy efficiency of your home. Yearly inspections are a good thing anyway, especially if you live closer to the salty, ocean air. Mold and rot are easier to fix when caught early. Repaint wood as necessary, too, to avoid mold and rot in the first place.

The most important thing is to caulk any holes or gaps left behind by TV cable installation, dryer vents, or other access points drilled through the exterior. Not only does this let out the warm air, it also lets in the critters!

3 | TUNE UP YOUR HEATING SYSTEM Make sure your heating system is tuned up and working at peak efficiency. That’s never been more crucial than now as heating costs are up by 20% or more. If you have an older unit, maybe it’s time to replace it with a newer high-efficiency model.

4 | CLEAN GUTTERS, CHECK DE-ICING CABLES, AND INSPECT ATTIC Ice damming over the winter can lead to leaks and problems in the spring thaw. But you can reduce damming by cleaning out your gutters (or, better yet, hiring a professional to do it for you), and making sure your roof is well-insulated.

Ice dams are caused by insufficiently insulated roofs. Without enough insulation, heat from toasty living space can rise up and melt snow on that part of the roof. Water runs down the roof and straight into totally frozen ice and snow sitting on the eaves, which are not over warm living space. This causes the water to freeze and back up under the shingles, which creates leaks. The solution is a wellinsulated roof, which allows the snow on your roof to melt at the same time (when the weather warms up) and run into the gutters. Roof insulation also makes your house warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer!

5 | INSPECT THE TREES AROUND YOUR HOME This may sound like a “yard” item – and it is – but it will also help protect your house from the winter months. Ice storms, heavy snow, and strong winds during winter and spring can easily bring down limbs including those overhanging your roof. The last thing you want is a huge hole in your home in the colder months! The highest priority should be dead or dying limbs. Hire a tree expert to inspect and to take down these limbs as necessary.

6 | REVERSE YOUR CEILING FANS If you have ceiling fans in your house, reverse them to create an updraft when the furnace is running. This may seem counter-intuitive since heat rises – why would you want to pull it up even farther? But trying to push down the air is a losing battle. Going with the updraft slingshots the warm air into the ceiling faster, creating a convection that sends the warm air back down to heat your room rather than leak out through the ceiling. This method can reduce energy use by about 15% by some estimates, though of course it depends on many factors including the number of fans you have, the size of the rooms, the height of the rooms, and so on.

Sarah Lawson is owner/president of S+H Construction, a highend residential construction company based in Belmont, MA, recently named ""Best of Boston"" by Boston Magazine. For more information on S+H, visit the company website at shconstruction.com. Tune into ""Builders Notebook: The Podcast"" hosted by Sarah Lawson, and renovation and real estate expert Bruce Irving on Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.