Ready or Not, Here I Come

I don’t know about you but I’m not ready for winter. I was standing out on a jobsite yesterday in the rain … it was 43 degrees and the wind was sweeping across the planes at a brisk 15 miles per hour. To add insult to injury Billy, the sprinkler guy, was blowing the water out of the lines and, thanks to Mr. Murphy and his law, there just happened to be a head two feet to my left and aimed right in my direction. My jacket wasn’t heavy enough or dry enough, I really could have used a hat and a pair of gloves, and my shoes are still drying out. Ok, I should have been better prepared.

So what about your home? Is it ready for winter? It will go through everything that we experience outside (and complain about) this winter. The wind, the rain, the snow and ice; we don’t like standing out there exposed and under-dressed. But that’s all your house ever does. It just stands there and takes all of the abuse that Mother Nature dishes out and keeps you warm and safe and dry.

It’s time to take care of all the painting and caulking and insulating that you’ve been putting off all summer. It’s a great time to get a full Energy Audit. You’d better fix those cracked window panes make sure your storm windows are in. The good news is that there’s a lot of money out there right now in the form of Tax Credits and Stimulus money to help us with weatherization and energy efficiency. Many of the projects that you need to take on can qualify but you’ll have to ask around because some of the programs vary from State to State. But don’t delay, there’s limited time and money.

Remember when your Mom used to tell you to zip your coat and don’t walk out that door without a hat on your head? That’s exactly what you need to do to your home right now. You’re running out of time because ready or not here comes Old Man Winter.