Now is a great time for a home energy audit to determine if your home is ready for a Minnesota winter. Energy audits can check if your home is properly insulated and ventilated. It can let you know how efficient your heating and cooling system is performing and can let you know if there are any air leaks. Knowing this information could save you money in the long run as you can fix problem areas to make your home more efficient and reduce your energy usage.
Having your attic and home properly insulated not only can save you money it can prevent ice dams from forming and potentially damaging your home. This could cost you more money to fix the damage then it would cost to prevent the ice dams from forming.
During the fall you should also check the plumbing for potential small cracks in pipes as replacing plumbing in the winter can be more costly than late Summer and Fall. If you replace anything from the heating, electric, roofing, or plumbing systems you should let your insurance agent know, as you may qualify for a discount on your current or future insurance policy.
Once the leaves start to fall, make sure you clear them from the roof and gutters as soon you can. This is because if you don’t take the leaves out of the gutters before the snow occurs then your gutters will get clogged and won’t drain properly away from your home and could cause water damage.