Here in Raleigh, we are in the midst of beautiful fall weather, but it doesn’t last long before cold, wet winter sets in. While we’re pretty lucky that it doesn’t get brutally cold here in the Triangle, the constant damp chill is pretty unpleasant, especially when it gets into your home. Our basement and crawl space waterproofing company is sharing some simple steps you can take this fall to keep your home warm, dry, and even pest-free through the winter.
Outdoor Actions to Keep Your Home Warm and Dry
First, let’s start outside your home with some quick actions that will improve your home’s comfort level.
1. Clean Up Around the Outdoor HVAC Unit
As leaves fall and blow around, they are likely to catch in your outdoor heating and air conditioning unit, reducing air flow and minimizing efficiency. Take a few minutes every few weeks to clean up any leaves, sticks, and debris that can block air movement.
2. Store Firewood Properly
Having a fireplace helps take the chill out of your home and creates an immediately cozy space, but improperly storing your firewood can create multiple problems including the wood getting damp and rotting and allowing pests into your home.
Choose a dry, breezy area outdoors that’s at least 20 feet away from a door or window into your home. Pests, including mice, will make homes in woodpiles, and you don’t want to give them a direct route into your home. An outdoor firewood rack and cover will keep it dry while allowing it to cure.
3. Extend Downspouts
You know you need to clean your gutters of leaves and debris, but when water is flowing freely, where does it go? If it’s just pouring into the ground around your foundation, you can end up with serious basement and crawl space moisture problems which ends up filling your home with unhealthy, mold-filled air. Pick up some inexpensive downspout extenders from the home improvement store and make sure they are directing water at least 10 feet away from your home’s foundation.
Steps to Take Indoors to Keep Your Home Comfortable This Winter
Now that you have spent a little time outside, it’s time to tackle a few simple projects inside your home to help keep it comfortable.
1. Vacuum Your Heating Vents
Take the hose extension from your vacuum and use it to clean up your registers and vent covers. Then remove them and vacuum a bit down into the vent themselves to pull up dust and debris. This will improve air flow as well as improve air quality by minimizing the dust being blown through your home.
2. Seal Up Leaks
Doors, windows, and even electrical outlets on exterior walls are common sources of cold air leaks, but fortunately they’re easy to fix. Install inexpensive outlet gaskets behind your outlet covers to block cold air from entering and run a bead of caulk or use weather stripping around your windows and doors to block drafts.
3. Get a Humidifier
While the whole point of this article is about keeping your home dry and warm through the winter, moisture is actually important. We often talk about the dangers of moisture in your home, which is true. Stagnant, damp air that seeps in due to leaks and pooling in a basement or crawl space attracts bugs, rots wood, and leads to mold and mildew problems.
However, keeping your home’s humidity level around 35 to 45 percent using clean, fresh moisture can hold heat in the air and improve the air quality in your home, preventing the spread of virus and even keeping wood flooring and furniture from drying out and cracking.
Keep Your Home Warm and Dry With Basement Waterproofing
In addition to simple steps you can take to keep your home energy efficient through the winter and preparing your home for fall, having a sealed crawl space or dry basement also minimizes the cold air entering your home.
To learn more about how basement waterproofing and crawl space encapsulation can improve your home’s comfort and air quality, reach out to us today at  919-847-7072 or fill out our online contact form to learn more!