Weatherproofing and Winterizing Your Home

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Weatherproofing Winterizing Your Home
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• Whether youve lived in your home for many years
  or youre moving into a new home, its important
  to prepare for the cold winter months.
• Freezing temperatures, snow, and ice can cause
  the inside temperature of your home to drop to
  dangerously low levels.
• Weatherproofing and winterizing your home will
  keep your family comfortable and safe and help
  you save on winter energy costs.
• Following are helpful tips to get you through the
  winter more comfortably.

Winter Is Fast Approaching
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• Your home can lose a tremendous amount of heat
  from leaky windows and doors.
• Install or replace worn weather stripping under
  entry doors and around windows.
• Hang plastic or shrink wrap over large windows as
  a cost-effective way to reduce heat loss.
• Quick Tip Hold a lit candle near windows and
  entry door frames. If the candle blows out, its
  time to install or replace weather stripping.

Windows Doors
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• Ensuring your furnace and thermostat are in good
  working order and your ductwork is intact can
  greatly increase the efficiency of your heating
  system.
• Replace your furnace filter regularly. A clogged
  filter can greatly reduce the performance of your
  heater and even lead to breakdowns.
• Inspect your ducts for mold, excessive dust and
  debris, and any leaks, or hire an expert to check
  the heating duct system, if you spot any
  problems.

Furnaces Ductwork
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• Missing shingles or other roof materials can
  cause heat loss. Have your roof inspected and any
  missing materials replaced.
• Accumulations of leaves, dirt, and other debris
  on your roof can lead to rot, and the weight of
  snow and debris can seriously stress your roof.
• Quick Tip Use a broom, shovel, or hose to
  quickly remove debris from your homes gutters.

Gutters Roof
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• While newer homes are generally well insulated,
  older homes can have haphazardly installed
  insulation or no insulation at all.
• Installing new insulation can be costly, but bear
  in mind that you shouldnt have to do it again
  anytime soon.
• Quick Tip Many utility companies offer courtesy
  energy audits to help homeowners determine
  whether there is adequate insulation.

Insulation
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• Keep the chimney clean and free of creosote, and
  always scrape the ashes/creosote out of the
  fireplace or wood stove when not in use.
• For wood stoves, make sure the connections from
  the flue vent to the wall and from the vent to
  the stove are secure. Hire an expert to check
  fireplaces, chimneys, and wood stoves if
  preferred.
• Quick Tip Make sure the chimney has a screen to
  prevent birds from nesting in or around the
  chimney.

Fireplaces, Chimneys Wood Stoves
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• Exterior
• Insulate exposed water pipes to prevent pipes
  from bursting.
• Apply expanding insulation or caulking into gaps
  or holes in exterior walls.
• Cover central a/c units to protect them from
  rain, snow, and the elements.
• Interior
• Reverse your ceiling fans to help circulate warm
  air around the house.
• Open register vents and air returns inside the
  house.

Home Exterior Interior
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• Its important to be prepared in case your
  heating system breaks down or a natural disaster
  occurs. Keep the following supplies on hand
• Flashlights
• Candles and matches
• Plenty of bottled water (1-3 gallons per person,
  per day, for 7 days)
• Several blankets
• Emergency food supplies
• Battery-powered radio or two-way device
• Extra prescription medications
• First-aid kit

Emergency Preparedness
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• For more than 30 years, Shleppers Moving
  Storage has been the premier residential and
  commercial moving service for families,
  businesses, and organizations. Dedicated to
  providing unmatched customer service and
  reliability, Shleppers remains the go-to moving
  company from New York to Miami.

For more information on and to schedule your
move, call (800) 84-SHLEP or visit
www.shleppers.com