Prepare Your Home for Winter
Every winter, prepare your home to deal with extremely cold weather and snowstorms. These conditions are always a possibility. Preparation is key to staying safe and warm during the cold-weather months.
  • Check weather forecasts regularly.
  • Check your emergency supply kit whenever a period of extreme cold is predicted.
Winterize Your Home
  • Insulate walls and attics with caulking; weather-strip doors and windows.
  • Winterize your house, barn, shed or any other structure that may provide shelter for your family, pets, livestock or equipment.
  • Clear rain gutters, repair roof leaks and cut away tree branches that could fall on your house or other structure during a storm.
  • Have heating equipment and chimneys inspected every year.
  • Insulate pipes with insulation or newspapers and plastic and allow faucets to drip a little during cold weather to avoid freezing. Running water, even at a trickle, helps prevent pipes from freezing.
  • All fuel-burning equipment should be vented to the outside and kept clear.
  • Keep fire extinguishers on hand, and make sure everyone in your house knows how to use them.
  • Learn how to shut off water valves (in case a pipe bursts).
  • Install storm windows or cover windows with plastic from the inside to keep cold air out.
  • Hire a contractor to check the ability of the roof to hold unusually heavy weight from the accumulation of snow - or water, in case drains on flat roofs do not work.
Home Heating
If you are using a woodstove, fireplace or space heater, be extremely careful. Follow the manufacturer's instructions and remember these safety tips:
  • Use fireplaces, woodstoves or other combustion heaters only if they are properly vented to the outside and do not leak flue gas into the indoor air space.
  • Do not burn paper in a fireplace.
  • Ensure adequate ventilation if you must use a kerosene heater.
  • Use only the type of fuel that your heater is designed to use - don't substitute.
  • Do not place a space heater within three fee of anything that may catch fire, such as drapes, furniture or bedding, and never cover your space heater.
  • Never place a space heater on top of furniture or near water.
  • Never leave children unattended near a space heater.
  • Make sure that the cord of an electric space heater is not a tripping hazard. Do not run the cord under carpets/rugs.
  • Avoid using extension cords to plug in your space heater.
  • If your space heater has a damaged electrical cord or produces spark, do not use it.
  • Store an ABC fire extinguisher near the area to be heated.
  • Protect yourself from CO poisoning by installing a battery-operated CO detector. Never use generators, grills, camp stoves or similar devices indoors. (CO - Carbon Monoxide - is an odorless, colorless toxic gas.)
    • Caution: CO Kills
      • Because CO is impossible to see, taste or smell, the toxic fumes can kill you before you are aware of it. At lower levels of exposure, CO causes mild effects that are often mistaken for the flu. These symptoms include headaches, dizziness, disorientation, nausea and fatigue.  Follow these tips to stay safe:
        • Never use a generator, grill, camp stove or other gasoline, propane, natural gas or charcoal-burning device inside a home, garage, basement, crawlspace or any partially enclosed area. Locate the unit away from doors, windows and vents that could allow CO to come inside.
        • Install CO alarms in central locations on every level of your home and outside sleeping areas.
        • If the CO alarm sounds, quickly move to a fresh-air location outdoors or near an open window or door.
        • Call for help from the fresh-air location and stay there until emergency personnel arrive to help you.
Lighting and Cooking
If there is a power failure:
  • Use battery-powered flashlights or lanterns rather than candles if possible.
  • Never leave lit candles unattended.
  • Never use a charcoal or gas grill indoors - the fumes are deadly.
  • Never use an electric generator indoors, inside the garage or near the air intake of your house because of the risk of CO poisoning.
  • Plug in appliances to the generator using individual heavy-duty, outdoor-rated cords.
  • Do not use generators or appliances if they are wet because of the risk of electrocution.
  • Do not store gasoline indoors where fumes could ignite.
Water Supply
Extremely cold temperatures can cause water pipes in your home to freeze and sometimes rupture. When very cold temperatures are expected:
  • Sometimes open all taps so they drip continuously.
  • Keep the indoor temperature warm.
  • Improve the circulation of heated air near pipes (e.g., open cabinet door beneath the sink).
  • DO NOT THAW FROZEN PIPES WITH A TORCH. Instead, thaw them slowly with warm air from an electric hair dryer.
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