How to Winterize Your Home: A Step-by-Step Guide for New Homeowners

Knowing how to winterize your home can save you from the most expensive cold-weather problems: burst pipes, fires from heating equipment, and carbon monoxide poisoning. Most of the work happens in the fall, and much of it is simple. This guide walks you through each step in order, from pipes and air leaks to heating, safety alarms and power outage prep.

What does it mean to winterize a home?

Winterizing means getting your home ready for freezing temperatures, snow and storms before they arrive. It covers protecting plumbing, sealing drafts, servicing the heating system, checking fire and carbon monoxide safety, and preparing for power outages. Ready.gov recommends sealing your home with insulation, caulking and weather stripping as part of winter preparation (Ready.gov).

How much you need to do depends on your climate. A home in Minnesota needs more than a home in Georgia. But even mild areas get occasional hard freezes, and homes there are often less prepared for them.

Here is the full plan at a glance.

How do you keep pipes from freezing?

Pipes freeze most in places exposed to cold: outdoor faucets, sprinkler and pool lines, and pipes in unheated basements, crawl spaces, attics, garages and cabinets on outside walls. Water expands as it freezes, and that pressure can split metal or plastic pipes. A burst pipe can release a lot of water fast (American Red Cross).

Before cold weather arrives

The Red Cross recommends these steps before the first freeze:

1. Drain outdoor lines. Drain swimming pool and sprinkler supply lines following the manufacturer’s or installer’s directions. Do not add antifreeze unless directed.
2. Store hoses. Remove, drain and store outdoor hoses.
3. Shut off outdoor faucets. Close the inside valve that supplies each outdoor faucet (hose bib), then open the outdoor faucet so remaining water can drain and expand without breaking the pipe.
4. Insulate. Add insulation to attics, basements and crawl spaces. Insulate hot and cold water pipes in unheated areas, using pipe sleeves or UL-listed heat tape or heat cable.

During a cold snap

When temperatures drop hard, the Red Cross suggests you:

• Keep garage doors closed if water lines run through the garage.
• Open kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors so warm air reaches the pipes. Move cleaners and chemicals out of children’s reach first.
• Let cold water drip from faucets served by exposed pipes.
• Keep the thermostat at the same temperature day and night.

If you turn on a faucet and get only a trickle, suspect a frozen pipe. Keep that faucet open while you apply heat, and check other faucets in the house, because if one pipe freezes, others may too (American Red Cross).

Know where your main water shut-off is

Find your home’s main water shut-off valve before winter and make sure everyone in the house knows where it is. If a pipe bursts, turning off the water fast is the single best way to limit damage. If the valve is stuck, ask a plumber to look at it now rather than during an emergency. If water damage does happen, our guide to filing a home insurance claim explains what to document.

How do you seal air leaks and add insulation?

Sealing gaps and adding insulation keeps heat in and cold air out. ENERGY STAR says sealing and insulating, such as weather stripping doors, caulking windows, and sealing leaks and adding insulation in the attic, can save up to 10% on annual energy bills (ENERGY STAR). It also makes rooms more comfortable.

Start with easy jobs:

• Doors: add or replace weather stripping and door sweeps.
• Windows: caulk gaps around frames; ENERGY STAR also has guidance on sealing behind trim and applying plastic over windows.
• Attic: this is often the biggest opportunity.

ENERGY STAR lists common attic leak spots: behind kneewalls, the attic hatch, holes for wiring and plumbing, recessed lights, dropped soffits over cabinets or vanities, furnace flue and duct chases, and where walls meet the attic floor. It recommends sealing these leaks first, then adding insulation (ENERGY STAR).

ENERGY STAR also lists safety cautions. Do not disturb vermiculite insulation until a lab tests it for asbestos. Keep required clearances around hot flues and chimneys and use metal flashing and high-temperature caulk there, not spray foam. Tightening a home can cause naturally vented gas appliances to backdraft, so have a professional test them after major air sealing. For bigger jobs, our guide to hiring a contractor can help.

Why should you service your heating system and chimney?

Heating equipment works hardest in winter, and a problem can mean no heat, a fire or carbon monoxide. The U.S. Fire Administration says heating fires were the second leading cause of home fires in 2021, and recommends having heating equipment and chimneys cleaned and inspected by a professional every year (USFA).

Fall heating checklist:

• Book a furnace, boiler or heat pump check before the cold arrives.
• Check or change the air filter, and keep checking it monthly through the season.
• Have the chimney and any wood stove inspected and cleaned before the first fire.
• Keep anything that can burn at least 3 feet from fireplaces, stoves, radiators and space heaters.
• Plug space heaters directly into a wall outlet, never a power strip, and never run the cord under rugs (CPSC). The USFA adds: turn space heaters off when you leave the room or go to bed.

How do you prevent carbon monoxide poisoning in winter?

Carbon monoxide (CO) is a gas you cannot see or smell. Winter raises the risk because people run furnaces, heaters and, during outages, generators. The basic rules: run fuel-burning equipment only where it is meant to be used, keep generators far from the house, and have working CO alarms on every level.

Key safety steps from federal agencies:

• Generators outside only. The CDC says to keep generators outside, at least 20 feet from doors, windows and vents, and never to use generators, grills or other gasoline-, propane- or charcoal-burning devices inside your home, garage or carport (CDC).
• No enclosed spaces. The CPSC says never to run a portable generator in a home, garage, basement, crawl space, shed or other enclosed space, and to look for models with an automatic CO shut-off feature.
• Never heat with a gas oven. Both the CDC and the U.S. Fire Administration warn against it.
• CO alarms on every level. The CPSC recommends battery-operated or battery-backup CO alarms on each level and outside sleeping areas, tested monthly (CPSC).

If you feel sick, dizzy or weak while a generator or fuel-burning appliance is running, get to fresh air right away and call 911. For alarm placement and types, see our guide to smoke and carbon monoxide alarms.

How do you prevent ice dams?

An ice dam is a ridge of ice that forms along the edge of a roof. Water from melting snow backs up behind it and can leak under shingles into walls and ceilings. Ice dams usually form when heat escaping into the attic warms the roof deck, so snow melts higher up and refreezes at the colder eaves.

ENERGY STAR lists ice dams on the roof in winter as a common attic problem and points homeowners toward attic air sealing and insulation projects (ENERGY STAR). Practical steps:

• Seal attic air leaks and add insulation, as described above.
• Clean gutters in late fall so meltwater can drain.
• Keep bath and dryer vents exhausting outdoors, not into the attic.
• If ice dams form, do not climb onto an icy roof or chip at ice with tools. Hire a qualified roofer.

How should you prepare for winter power outages?

Winter storms can cut power for days. Build a kit and a plan before the first storm. Ready.gov suggests stocking supplies so you can stay home for several days without power, and making backup plans for medicine that needs refrigeration and medical devices that need electricity (Ready.gov).

During an outage, keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed. Ready.gov says a refrigerator keeps food cold for about four hours and a full freezer holds its temperature for about 48 hours. Throw out food that reaches 40°F or higher. Unplug appliances and electronics to avoid damage from surges when power returns (Ready.gov).

What should you do if your home will be empty in winter?

An empty house is at higher risk because no one is there to notice a frozen pipe or a furnace failure. The Red Cross says to leave the heat on and set no lower than 55°F if you go away in cold weather (American Red Cross).

Before you leave:

• Have someone check the house regularly, including after cold snaps and storms.
• Consider turning off the main water supply and asking a plumber whether draining the lines makes sense for your home.
• Open cabinet doors under sinks on outside walls.
• Ask your insurer whether your policy has rules for vacant or unoccupied homes. Our guide to homeowners insurance coverage explains common limits.

This guide is general information. Your equipment manuals, local building codes and licensed professionals may call for different steps for your home.