Winterizing Your Home

Things to do in the fall to ready your home for winter.

October and November are ideal times to winterize your home in North Carolina. The days are finally starting to cool off, but we likely have not had a freeze yet.

Tackle these tasks to make sure your home stays warm throughout winter and your exterior looks good in the spring.

1. Rake your leaves.

Rake your leaves to make sure no piles of leaves are interfering with your grass’ ability to breath. Grass needs sunlight and oxygen to stay healthy, even when it’s dormant.

*Helpful Tip: Use your leaves for compost! If you don’t have a compost bin set up, it can be incredibly easy to make one. Designate an area in your yard and toss leaves, grass trimmings, and compostable food waste in there to produce fertile soil for your garden in the spring.

**Helpful Tip: Fertilize your lawn to help with weed prevention and healthy growth in the spring.

2. Speaking of leaves, this is also a good time to clean out your gutters.

Even if you don’t have a ton of leaves on the ground, you might be surprised with the amount of leaves and debris you can find in your gutters. For the sake of your gutters, siding, and foundation, it’s important to keep these clear for proper drainage.

3. Check foundation and roof for cracks or leaks.

If you are reading this, you are likely a Thayer Homes homeowner, meaning your foundation and roof are relatively very new. Although you are not likely to find any issues, it’s always wise to check for them before finding out through catastrophe, especially in the cold winter.

*Helpful tip: A roof rake will help you clear off accumulated snow on your roof, which is built to hold up to 4ft of snow before possible collapse.

4. Protect your pipes from freezing.

Remove the water hose from the spout connected to the homebefore freezing temps. If hoses are left attached, leftover water in the hose will freeze and likely expand into the pipe. If the ice expands into the pipe, there is a chance it could cause the pipe to burst and leak. Also make sure to turn off your A/C water valve to prevent water collecting and freezing in the unit.

Helpful Tip:You can purchase pipe insulation from your local hardware store to help prevent freezing.

5. Have your furnace serviced.

It’s always recommended to have your furnace professionally inspected. At a minimum, check it for strange sounds and stay aware of any erratic behavior.

Dirty filters make it hard to keep your home at a comfortable temperature. To ensure proper heating, make sure to keep your furnace filter clean.

*Helpful Tip: Disposable filters can be vacuumed once between replacing!

**Helpful Tip: It’s also never a bad idea to cover your air conditioner unit for the winter. You will likely not be using it, so protecting it from the elements is recommended.

6. Check windows and doors for air leaks.

Weather-stripping can become worn over time, so checking to make sure it’s intact and sealed properly when the door or window is closed is never a bad idea. Replacing worn stripping can help save on heating costs, as the warm air is staying in and the cold air is staying out.

*Helpful Tip: We also recommend adjusting your thermostat to “winter setting” to help with energy costs.

7. Run your fans in reverse.

One of the easiest things to do when it comes to winterizing your home is to run your fan in reverse. All fans have a little switch near the base that allows you to switch your ceiling fan rotation, clockwise or counterclockwise. Cold air gets pushed around by a counterclockwise rotation. Whereas a clockwise rotation helps to pool the hot air near the ceiling and back down into the room.

 8. Add sealant to your deck.

Power washing, sanding any rough spots, and sealing your deck before the harsh winter weather will help prevent your wood deck from splintering and cracking.

Have further questions or recommendations? We would love to hear from you! Please feel free to email us at