Fall has definitely arrived in our area, and along with it cooler temperatures and changing leaves. That means winter is not far away, and now is the time to get your home ready for the cold temperatures and blustery winds soon to come. We’d like to offer you some simple steps to get your home ready for the impending bitter weather so you and your family can be warm and cozy in the coming months.
- Clean all of your windows, inside and out. This may seem like an unusual suggestion, but think about it; as the days get shorter, clean windows will allow more sunshine to enter, adding light and warmth to your home. Besides, with today’s easy to clean tilt-in windows, you can perform this task from inside your home, rather than having to stand out in the cold on a shaky ladder to clean the outside. You don’t have tilt-in windows? Don’t worry; we can still replace your old windows with new, energy efficient vinyl tilt-in windows in just 2 weeks!
- Remove screens from storm doors and replace them with their glass inserts to create a weather barrier for your entry doors. This is also the time to check your storm doors to make sure that they operate properly and are not allowing substantial air to seep around them. If they do not seem to be doing their job, we can help you find the right storm door to protect your home and enhance its beauty at the same time. By the way, do not remove the screens from your home’s windows; today’s screen materials are designed to endure virtually all kinds of weather and remain in your windows year round.
- While you are checking out your storm doors, don’t forget to inspect your entry doors for wind and water infiltration. The old dollar bill trick still works quite well; if a dollar bill will easily slip in and out of the closed door, top, bottom, or sides, that means heat, cold, and moisture can also transfer through that gap, costing you energy dollars. (By the way, this is also true for windows.) Once again, we are here to help you find the perfect new entry door for your home.
- Once the autumn leaves have fallen from the trees, clean and inspect your gutters. Otherwise, clogged gutters could lead to ice backup, which will not only damage your gutters, but could lead to ice dams that could back up into your roof line, damaging your shingles and underlayment. Leaky gutters can also result in the formation of dangerous icicles that could break off and injure someone, or the weight of the ice could cause the gutters to pull loose from your home, making them pretty much useless. And, yes, if you find that you need to replace your gutters, we can help you with that, too!
So, in summary, to get your home ready for the approaching winter weather, clean your windows, prepare your storm doors, check your entry doors for air leakage, and 
clean and inspect your gutters. After that, your home’s exterior should be ready to keep you warm and cozy for another chilly season.
Call us at (708) 423-1720 or visit our website at http://www.evergreenwindow.com to help get your home ready for the chill.
