One of our most treasured assets are our homes. We work and toil our days away making sure we keep the roof over our families head. We fill the rooms with colourful pictures, comfy furniture, modern appliances, and great entertainment systems. Our laughter fills each room while we build loving memories within the walls.

Just as our families need some extra loving care to stay warm and safe in the cold winter months, so too, does our house. The following steps are a few ways we can keep our family warm, keep our house safe, and our bill payments low.

1. Add a second layer of insulation to your attic. If you have a house that is over 50 years old, chances are the insulation in your attic could use another layer. R30 insulation is known to be one of the best to keep your heat from escaping.

2. Caulk around window and door glass and trim. You can save yourself hundreds of dollars a year by making sure the weather stripping on all your doors is new or in good condition. A few dollars spent on caulking could have all the cracks around thepipes, electrical outlets and exterior trim of your windows filled in and no heat sneaking out.

3. Install storm windows for extra protection. Modern homes were designed with heavy windows using insulated glass. If your house is an older model, you will find the adding of storm windows will allow a reduction in your heat consumption through-out the winter season.

4. Check your heating system. This is often over-looked. Every year you should have a professional routinely check your heating system to make sure it is working as well as it should be. The cost of a serviceman is less than a cost of a new system or an emergency call in the dead of night if your system fails and leaves your family at the mercy of the winter freeze.

5. Checking the exterior of your house. There are several things on the exterior of your home that you will want to check over. You will need to climb a ladder and look into your gutters. A clogged gutter is a surefire way to a basement flood when the snow melts. Replacing damaged or missing roof shingles can be a relatively simple task if looked into before it becomes too worn out. Make sure all outside water faucets are shut off, exposed water pipes are insulated, and be prepared with a ton of rock salt, sand, snow shovels and any other winter item that may be needed are ready for use. if your hot water heater is outside your home in a garage or storage room you may want to look into getting a thermal insulating blanket you can wrap around your heater. That way when the cold comes storming in, the heater will be safe, thus keeping you warm and cozy inside.

6. Using modern technology to save you money and time. One of the best things you can invest in to help you save money and time, is a programmable thermostat. Using a programmable thermostat will allow you to have the heat raised at night when it gets cooler, and lowering the heat during the day when you are not home, or it is not as cold. You can program it to be warmed up when you come home from work.

There are many simple ways you can implement to prepare your home for winter. These are just a few ideas to get you started on creating a warm and cozy place you will always be proud to call your own.