Winterize Your Doors to Save on Heating Bills

    The winter months are fast approaching; soon old man winter will be knocking at your front door. Doors are a huge cause of heat loss. Much is lost just by opening and closing them, but the amount of heat lost when closed can be reduced greatly with the following three maintenance tips.

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Closing Your Vacation Home for the Winter

Between Labor Day and Thanksgiving, owners of second homes around the country perform the annual ritual of closing up their unwinterized rural cottages, beach retreats and mountain cabins. Best practice varies by region, but if you plan on vacating a seasonal property for any extended period of time, there are a few basic things you can do to help safeguard your house through the cold months ahead. Read more

Is Your Home Winter-Proof?

Don’t let your home get the winter blues. As the cold weather approaches, home owners can do the following maintenance checks to ensure their properties are ready for the winter months. The real estate Web site Zillow offers some of the following tips:

• Check the weather stripping along your door and door frame to ensure there are no gaps that can let cold air seep into your home. Also, you may want to add weather stripping or caulk to your windows to prevent any drafts and wasting energy. Read more

How to Prep Your Fireplace for the Cold Season

Things to Know Before You Spark Up the Logs

With natural gas and propane prices continuing to rise, you’ll likely be looking to the old fireplace this winter to help cut your home-heating bills. But before you spark up the logs, take heed that fireplaces and chimneys are involved in 42 percent of all home-heating fires. So first make sure yours is up to snuff by following these seven safety tips. Read more