The winter checklist

While it is still mild: the jobs that take an afternoon or a call.

• Make sure the roof vents are openSoffit, ridge or gable vents let the attic's heat out before it melts snow on the roof. Leaves, paint or insulation pushed against a soffit vent can close it.RoofQuickSourceGuide
• Check how deep the attic insulation isNDSU Extension says attics in northern climates need roughly 15 inches of blown-in insulation, about R-50. Measure in a few spots; low spots leak heat onto the roof.AtticA projectSourceSourceGuide
• Seal the holes into the atticWhere plumbing, wiring and ducts pass into the attic, around recessed lights and around the hatch, warm air rises through. Seal these before adding insulation over them.AtticA projectSourceSourceGuide
• Keep insulation back from the soffitsBaffles hold insulation away from the soffit vents so outside air can still flow up under the roof.AtticQuickSourceGuide
• Have the chimney and heating equipment cleaned and inspectedThe U.S. Fire Administration says to have them cleaned and inspected each year by a professional, before the first fire of the season.HearthCall a proSourceGuide
• Clear three feet around every heat sourceKeep anything that can burn at least 3 feet from fireplaces, wood stoves, radiators, space heaters and candles.HearthQuickSourceGuide
• Find the drafts with a sheet of paperClose a window or door on a sheet of paper. If it slides out easily, that joint needs thicker weatherstripping. A lit incense stick held at the seams shows moving air too.WindowsQuickSourceSourceGuide
• Caulk the trim, weatherstrip what movesCaulk fills gaps around window and door frames, which never move. Weatherstripping seals the parts that open: sashes and doors. The counter works out how much of each.WindowsA projectSourceSourceGuide
• Put a CO alarm on every levelThe CPSC says on each level of the home and outside sleeping areas, but not in an attic or basement unless someone sleeps there.AlarmsQuickSourceGuide
• Test the smoke and CO alarmsThe CPSC says to test them monthly and replace their batteries once a year. Fall, before the furnace runs every day, is an easy time to remember.AlarmsQuickSourceGuide
• Find the main water shutoff, and show everyoneIf a pipe bursts, closing the main valve is what stops the damage. Make sure everyone in the house knows where it is and how to turn it.PipesQuickSourceGuide
• Insulate the pipes most likely to freezeThose near outside walls, in crawlspaces and in the attic. Foam sleeves made for pipes slip on; UL-listed heat tape is the next step for a run that still freezes.PipesA projectSourceGuide
• Seal the cold air leaks near pipesA draft on a pipe freezes it faster than still cold air. Seal gaps where cold air gets in around the pipes.PipesA projectSourceGuide
• Book the furnace tune-upENERGY STAR says to have the heating system checked in the fall: the gas or oil connections, the burner and the heat exchanger, which a contractor can see and you cannot.FurnaceCall a proSourceSourceGuide
• Check the furnace filterCheck it every month in winter. If it looks dirty after a month, change it, and change it at least every three months either way.FurnaceQuickSourceSourceGuide
• Seal the ducts in unheated spacesStart with ducts in the attic, crawlspace, unheated basement or garage. Use duct mastic or foil tape on the seams, then wrap the ducts in insulation.FurnaceA projectSourceGuide

The night the forecast first reaches 32 degrees, these should already be done.

• Put plastic film over the drafty windowsShrink-to-fit plastic over a window is easy and inexpensive, and it stops a draft you cannot fix this year.WindowsQuickSourceGuide
• Disconnect the garden hosesA hose left on holds water against the faucet. Drain it and store it inside.FaucetsQuickSourceGuide
• Shut off and drain the outdoor faucetsClose the valve inside the house that feeds each outdoor faucet, then open the faucet outside to drain it. That empties the short run of pipe just inside the wall, the part most likely to freeze.FaucetsQuickSourceGuide

What to do on the nights it is actually freezing.

• Pull snow off the lower edge of the roofIce dams tend to form low on the roof, over the eaves. Clearing the bottom few feet after a heavy snow, with a roof rake from the ground, gives the dam less to work with.RoofA projectSourceGuide
• Turn space heaters off when you leave the room or go to bedAnd never use the oven to heat the house.HearthQuickSourceGuide
• Watch the forecast lowMake checking the forecast a habit, so a night at or under 32 degrees is not a surprise. The freeze check turns tonight's low into tonight's steps.FaucetsQuickSourceGuide
• Open the cabinet doors under sinks on outside wallsIt lets the room's heat reach pipes that have no insulation of their own.PipesQuickSourceGuide
• Let a faucet trickle at nightHot and cold, from a faucet on an outside wall.PipesQuickSourceGuide
• Keep the heat at 55 degrees or higherEven at night, and even when nobody is home. Illinois Extension sets the floor at 55.FurnaceQuickSourceGuide

A house nobody is in needs two more things.

• Have someone check the house every day, or drain the waterSomeone stops in daily to make sure the heat is still on. If no one can, shut off and drain the water system (not an indoor fire sprinkler system, which must stay on).PipesA projectSourceGuide
• Set the thermostat to 55 before you goNo lower. A smart thermostat lets you watch it, and change it, from wherever you are.FurnaceQuickSourceSourceGuide