It's Getting Chilly Here In Ohio

Wow, summer sure did fly by quickly! It seems that the seasons go through a much more rapid change here in Ohio, which will definitely take some getting used to. In the evenings, it has been dipping down into the 40's, which is something that I am just not used to in September after living in Virginia for so long. As you can see, I have already broken out my comfy footie pajamas! (Don't hate...You know you'd love a pair, too!) 

Since we're new homeowners, we realize that there is a lot more to preparing for the cold weather than just breaking out our fall and winter wardrobes. We have to make sure all the little cracks and crevices are sealed and secure, we need to check our insulation, make sure our water lines don't freeze, and of course, we need to worry about our indoor air quality. But of course, since we have always rented before now, we were a bit clueless as to everything we need to do before winter sets in. But we definitely want to be well-prepared so we don't have any unexpected surprises. 

Thankfully, I have a dear friend who lives in the Monroe, MI area who is an expert when it comes to all things handy. He actually relies on the folks at Iceberg's One Hour to keep him up to date on the best ways to prepare his home for winter. He just had a brand new furnace installed, and his tech was more than happy to give him the skinny on proper maintenance for winter. He has passed some of these tips along to us, so we can be sure to get our own Ohio home ready for the colder months. After all, we have basically the same climate as John has up in Michigan. 

I visited the Iceberg's One Hour blog for more information, and I learned a lot about how indoor air quality directly affects health, as well as how to make sure my hot water heater and furnace are performing to their potential. (Have you ever lost heat or hot water in the middle of the winter? Not fun. Not fun at all.) 

Also, I learned some great ways to save money on our home heating bill this winter. Simple things like making sure that door and window seals are tight and lowering the temperature on the hot water heater can make a huge difference in energy bills and help homeowners avoid sticker shock. 

Hopefully, we won't have any issues with our heat or hot water this winter. We inspected our entire system, and everything appears to be on the up and up. But, as new homeowners, there is definitely a learning curve and sometimes experience is the best teacher. For example, we never really realized that "flushable" wipes really should not be flushed because they can cause the entire basement to flood with raw sewage. 

How do you winter-proof your home? Do you have any tips or tricks that you can share? I'd love to hear them! 

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