Ask Gitta: Preparing my home for winter

You need to get your home ready for it. Here are a few tips on preparing for the big chill.

Exterior paint: All exterior wood surfaces should be checked for peeling paint. If you find any, better paint now before the temperature dips below freezing. Peeling paint on wood surfaces can mean that there is moisture that has to be removed. Your local hardware store can advise you on chemicals to be used for drying the wood and which paint is best for you.

Heating system: If you have a forced-air heating system, before you turn the furnace on, make sure you have your chimney checked for obstructions. An obstructed chimney can cause carbon monoxide poisoning.  High efficiency furnaces do not use a chimney; they vent through a small plastic pipe going to the outside.  Check this pipe for nests and clear all foliage that may have grown around it. Additionally, have a quality technician check & clean your furnace thoroughly.

Weather seals: Check all weather seals on exterior doors, windows and door thresholds

Windows: Check for broken windowpanes or failed seals on thermal windows. Moisture beten the two pieces of glass is a sign that the seal has failed and you will have to replace the entire unit.

The roof: You or a hired professional should check that all the shingles, flashings, and the caulking on the flashings are an good shape.

Outside water:  Turn off your exterior hose faucet and drain garden hoses.

About Thermal Windows 
Double glazed windows (those with double glass panes) are sometimes touted by their manufacturers as thermal windows. But there is really no such thing.  The OR value (resistance to heat transfer) of a typical wall in a modern house is approximately R12 to R20.  The R value of  a single glazed window is R1 and a double glazed window R2- a far cry from R12 or R20.

A single pane window with a second pane in the form of a storm window will resist heat leakage as well and sometimes better than a double glazed (thermal) window.
 
The real advantage in double glazed windows is that they increase the surface temperature of the inside pane of glass so that condensation does not form on the window in the winter time.
 
Energy Saving Tips 
Turning the thermostat down from 22 to 20 degree during the day and 17 degree at night can save you as much as 15% on your energy bill.
 
You get the same amount of light from a 60 watt normal light bulb as from 15 watt compact fluorescent light bulb, which obviously requires only 15 watt of energy.
 
Sprinkling salt over logs in the fireplace can remove as much as 75% of the soot normally left behind after a blazing fire, thereby saving your energy when it comes to cleaning up.