Menards®

Getting a home ready for winter doesn’t have to mean a big project. A handful of small, practical moves, some costing next to nothing, make the season easier to handle once the temperature actually drops. TL;DR Weather stripping the doors and windows stops cold air from entering the home and making your heating system work harder. A basic winter supply kit means the first storm is a minor inconvenience and not a scramble to the store. Electric fireplace heaters add warmth to a room without a full heating overhaul. A large room oscillating space heater covers the one space that never seems to warm up. Clearing debris from the gutters now helps prevent ice dams before they start. 1. Weather strip the Doors and Windows That Let the Draft In Cold air sneaks in around doors and windows more than most homeowners realize, and it’s one of the cheapest fixes on this list. A quick pass with weather stripping or a door sweep seals the gaps, keeping the furnace from working overtime. 2. Put a Wint...

There’s a particular kind of morning every homeowner recognizes. The driveway is covered in snow, the car needs a few minutes to warm up, and someone is already running late. The difference between that morning turning into a mess and staying manageable usually comes down to what got done weeks earlier , not what gets done in the moment. Homeowners who never seem to have a bad morning share one habit: they test things well before they need to rely on them. Here are three easy items to check off your to-do list for more stress-free winter mornings. Check the Remote Before the Cold Sets In A universal garage opener remote is one of those items nobody thinks about until the batteries die in the cold or the signal starts to lag. A quick check now, while it’s still convenient, means one less delay on the morning it actually matters most. Verify Space Heaters Are Functional Before You Need Them The same logic applies indoors, or at least the parts that feel like outdoors this t...