Here are a few easy tips to get your home ready for winter

Outside Your Home

•  Remove garden hoses from spouts. Drain in-ground sprinkler system
• Clear debris out of window wells, gutters, down spouts. Make sure down spouts are directed away from the home’s foundation.
• Check weather stripping on windows and doors for fit and condition. Replace if necessary.
• Check and clean the chimney.
• Insulate outdoor faucets, pipes in unheated garages, and pipes in crawl spaces.
• Check roof for damage and/or icicles indicating potential ice dams.  
Inside Your Home
• Change your furnace air filter and have it serviced if needed.
• Remove hair from drains in sinks, tubs, and showers.
• Test all smoke alarms and replace batteries.
• If you are leaving town for the holidays, you want to avoid frozen pipes by not turning the heat down to low.