Winter is right around the corner: Are your Doors and Windows Ready?

In September we waved goodbye to Summer, and November is when we start focusing on impending indoor family gatherings, which makes October the perfect time to prepare the home for the colder winter months that are right around the corner.  Here are three small home maintenance tasks that can make a big difference to your family’s comfort, as well as your utility bills.

Replace weatherstripping

You probably won’t notice a drafty door until the weather becomes colder. But if you wait until then to replace mangled weatherstripping, your fingers will probably become numb before you finish. Take advantage of a warm October day to do the job. Felt or open-cell foam weatherstripping is inexpensive and easy to apply, but it doesn’t last long. You’re better off going with closed-cell foam, vinyl, silicone or metal weatherstripping. Attach the weatherstripping to the surface that the door closes against. On the latch side and the top, that’s along the lip in the door jamb. On the hinge side, it’s in line with the outside edges of the hinges.

Check sweeps

All those Halloween decorations featuring brooms are a good reminder to pay attention to sweeps of a different sort: the ones that close gaps at the bottom of exterior doors. Place a piece of paper on the threshold (the bottom trim in the doorway), close the door and see whether the paper pulls out easily. If it does, you might need to replace or adjust the sweep or door shoe, which is another way of plugging the gap under a door. Sweeps have a mounting strip along the bottom back edge of the door and a flexible blade that brushes against the threshold. Caps hug the bottom edge. If your door has neither — or you need to replace what’s there — sweeps are easier to install and adjust, and, unlike with caps, you can do the work without taking the door down.

Clean window wells

Window wells allow a basement to have windows, even if part of the glass needs to be lower than the ground outside. Under the gravel that’s at the base of the window well is a drain pipe that carries away water. But without regular maintenance, leaves and dirt can plug the gravel and block rainwater from reaching the drain. Before winter sets in, clean out whatever has collected over the gravel. It’s a great time to wash the window, too. Installing a cover over the well will help keep the gravel and glass clean, but if the window well provides an escape route in case of a fire, be sure to get a cover that meets safety standards. It must push open easily from inside, without the need for tools.

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