How to Winterize Your Home for Survival Situations

Whether you’re facing a blizzard, power outage, or bitterly cold temperatures, winterizing your home ahead of time can help you save on energy costs, ensure safety, and prevent major damage. 

By Tammy Pitts

Here are some simple tips to fortify your home for winter survival situations.

Inspect and Insulate 

The first thing on your winter prep checklist should be to inspect your home’s insulation. Poor insulation makes it harder to maintain a warm temperature indoors. Start by checking your attic, as it’s a major source of heat loss in many homes. Adding spray foam or fiberglass insulation will make it warmer inside.

Next, seal up any gaps around windows and doors to prevent the cold air from getting in. Purchasing door draft stoppers for the bottom of doors and using weatherstripping or caulking around the frames improves insulation.

Additionally, adding insulation to the basement and crawl spaces will also help reduce heat loss and keep your home comfortable.

Secure the Roof and Gutters

Heavy snow and ice can strain a roof, leading to leaks or a collapse if there is a big snowfall. However, this may be avoided by scheduling a roof inspection. Hire a professional and if any roof issues are found, have them repaired before any major snowstorms hit.  

Prep your Heating System

The last thing you want to happen during a winter cold snap is for your furnace to clonk out. So, during the fall months, schedule a professional tuneup on your furnace to make sure it is in working order and ready for winter. Once you’ve received the all-clear, remember to clean and replace air filters regularly to keep your system efficient. If you use a wood stove or fireplace, have the chimney cleaned and inspected.

Space heaters can be a fire risk if not used properly. If you rely on them as a backup heating source, make sure they’re in good working order. Always plug them directly into the wall and never use extension cords.

Stock up on Supplies

Make sure you have the necessary supplies in case you become snowed in. Your emergency kit should include:

• Non-perishable food: Aim for a two-week supply of food that doesn’t require refrigeration or heat to cook it.
• Water: Store at least a gallon of water per person per day for a minimum of three days. Make sure your water is stored in insulated containers to prevent it from freezing.
• Batteries & flashlights: Power outages are common during winter storms, so make sure you have plenty of flashlights and batteries.
• First-aid: Keep a basic first-aid kit with essentials like bandages, Neosporin, pain relievers, fever medication, and any other prescriptions you may need.
• Blankets and warm clothing: Keep extra blankets, hats, gloves, warm socks, sleeping bags, sweaters, and sweatshirts available. If you lose heat, you can layer on many items of clothing to stay warm.

Protect the Plumbing

Frozen pipes can cause severe damage to your home in the winter months, and leave you without water. Here are a few ways to protect your pipes from freezing:

• Let your faucets drip. During extremely cold weather, let your faucets drip slightly. This keeps water moving through the pipes and helps prevent freezing.
• Open cabinet doors beneath sinks and allow warm air to circulate around the pipes.
• Shut off exterior faucets: If your area regularly experiences freezing temperatures, shut off the water supply to exterior faucets and drain them before winter arrives.

Create an Emergency Backup Plan

Have a plan for staying in touch with friends and loved ones if the power goes out or cell service is disrupted.

• This communication can include social media, in case of a power outage. Additionally, leave a voicemail message on your phone if possible, stating that you’ve lost power and describing the weather conditions. This way, when people call and you don’t answer, they will hear your message.
• Familiarize yourself ahead of the storm with emergency shelters and evacuation routes in case you have to leave your home. If you do have to go out, pack your car with essentials like blankets, water, food, flashlights, and batteries.
• Consider investing in a generator to power essential items like your refrigerator, heater, and lights during a power outage. Never operate a generator indoors or near the home.

Winterizing your home is about much more than just staying warm — it’s making sure your home remains a safe haven during the cold months. By prepping ahead of time with insulation, emergency supplies, and a professional tuneup on your furnace, you will be ready for whatever Old Man Winter throws at you.

Tammy Pitts has an extensive background in journalism, media relations, social media strategy, marketing, and brand management.

She resides in Michigan with her family, which includes her two sons and their Goldendoodle, Max. In her free time, she loves to read and travel.