By the time fall rolls around, most of us are ready to say ‘goodbye’ to the  summer heat, and hello to a few months of cool weather. However, autumn is more  than just a time to enjoy the changing color of the leaves and the dropping of  the mercury in the thermometer; it’s a time to prepare your home for the coming  ravages of winter. After all, if you don’t take care of potential problems now,  before they actually happen, you could find yourself stuck with some major  repair work right in the middle of the Holiday Season. Here’s a quick list of  things you need to do to prepare your home for the coldest months of the  year.

1. Prune back your hedges, shrubs, and branches.

When it comes to being covered in snow, the plants with less surface area are  less likely to get damaged. Trimming back your outdoor plants will help keep  them safe, and will give them a nice fresh start to grow from once spring  arrives.

2. Check around your doors and windows.

With the cold fast approaching, now’s the time to locate any areas of your  home through which heat could escape. Make sure that the caulking around you  windows is solid and free from cracks, and check around your doors to make sure  that they shut securely without leaving gaps.

3. Give the heater a test run.

Replace your furnace filter, open your vents, and kick the heater into high  gear, because you’ll want to make sure that your heater works before you get  trapped inside during a blizzard. If you notice any problems, call a repairman  and get it sorted out quickly.

4. Clean and cover the AC outdoor condensing unit.

This is good idea especially if your area drops into low temperatures or has  heavy snowfall. Use a high pressure hose to clean any debris out of the condensing unit, and then cover  it up for the winter. If left open, the harsh winter weather could damage your  system, leaving you without a cooling system once things begin to heat up  again.

5. Clean out your gutters.

If you have any trees near your house, then chances are that once all the  leaves have fallen, you’ll have rain gutters that are absolutely full of debris. Clean these  out before the weather starts to get any worse, otherwise you could have to deal  with water buildup and ice damage.

6. Check the roof.

If you have any missing or damaged shingles, you should hurry to get them  replaced before winter arrives. Also check to see if you have any significant  air leaks coming up through the roof, and have them repaired if you do.

Read more: http://www.motherearthnews.com/green-homes/prepare-home-winter-zbcz1310.aspx#ixzz2kXN8svX7