Winterize House Shop

Caulk

For the still cracks: trim, siding and the gaps around pipes that go outside.

• DAPDAP ALEX PLUS All Purpose Acrylic Latex Caulk Plus Silicone, White (10.1 fl oz cartridge)For the cracks that do not move: window and door trim, siding joints and the gaps where pipes and wires go outside. Water cleanup, and paintable the same afternoon in white.

Weatherstripping and sweeps

For what moves: the doors and windows that open, and the gap under a door.

• Frost KingV-Seal Weatherstrip, M13WH (white) or M13BH (brown)For the edges that do move: a self-stick strip that folds into a V and springs against a door or window sash to close the gap the paper test found.
• M-D Building ProductsAluminum and Vinyl Heavy-duty Screw-on Door Sweep, 36 in. (SKU 05744)For the gap under an exterior door, where daylight shows: an aluminum sweep with a double vinyl fin, screwed on and cut to width.

Pipe heat cable

For the pipe in a cold space that freezes anyway: a crawl space, an unheated garage, an outside wall.

• Raychem (Chemelex)Raychem Frostex Self-Regulating Heating Cable (with Frostex 9800 FlexFit plug kit)For the one pipe that freezes every winter, in a crawl space or an outside wall: a self-regulating cable that puts out more heat as the pipe gets colder, under the pipe's insulation.

Smoke and CO alarms

One CO alarm on every level, and outside every sleeping area.

• KiddeWorry-Free Living Area Plug-in Carbon Monoxide Alarm with Sealed Lithium Battery Backup and Digital Display, KN-COP-DP-10YLA plug-in CO alarm with a sealed ten-year battery, so it keeps working through the power outage that sends people to the generator and the space heater.
• First AlertBattery Powered 2-in-1 Combination Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm, SMCO100Smoke and CO in one alarm on two AA batteries, for the sleeping areas and levels with no outlet where a plug-in alarm cannot go.

Thermostats

For holding 55 degrees when the house is empty.

• Resideo (Honeywell Home)Honeywell Home T6 Pro Programmable Thermostat up to 2 Heat/2 Cool, TH6220U2000/UA plain programmable thermostat with no Wi-Fi to set up, so the house holds 55 degrees on its own when nobody is home.

Read before you buy

• The winter checklist27 steps, sorted by when they belong, each with the page that says why. Tap to check one off; this device remembers.
• How to find and seal drafts around windows and doorsA sheet of paper finds the leaks. Caulk the frames, weatherstrip what moves, and put plastic over the window you cannot fix this year.
• How to keep pipes from freezingInsulate the pipes on outside walls and in unheated spaces, seal the drafts on them, and on the coldest nights let a faucet trickle and open the cabinets.
• Heat the house safely: fireplaces, space heaters and CO alarmsHave the chimney inspected, keep three feet clear around every heat source, turn space heaters off when you leave, and put a CO alarm on every level.