Philadelphia is one of those seasonal cities where it can get very cold in late fall and winter. It’s crucial to weatherproof your Philly townhouse as soon as the cold season starts to roll in to avoid high energy bills. Here are a few townhouse maintenance tips Philadelphia homeowners should keep in mind when preparing your home for the winter.

Seal the Windows

The windows of your Philadelphia home should be the first item on your checklist when weatherproofing for the cold season. First, use a caulking gun to fill in any cracks and spaces around the window and sill. Next, get an indoor window insulation kit that contains plastic sheeting and clear double-sided tape. Apply the tape to the inside of the window frame and then apply the plastic sheeting per the instructions. Hang heavy curtains over the sheeting for added protection from the cold.

Install Door Sweeps

The doors of your home are a common source for cold air leaking in. To see whether you need to install door sweeps, take a feather or a piece of light yarn and place it near the bottom, top, and sides of your front and back doors. If you see it blowing back and forth, that means there’s a space where air is getting in and out of your home around your doors. Get a door sweep for insulation, which is just a piece of vinyl or rubber that can be affixed to the bottom and sides of the door edges to keep cold air out.

Insulate Your Crawlspace

Philadelphia townhouses rarely have large attics — they often have smaller crawlspaces. Make sure that your crawlspace is insulated from the cold weather. For this townhouse maintenance job, buy a roll or two of insulation and carefully fill the space with it to help keep the top floor of your townhouse warm.

Don’t Forget the Basement

In most cases, Philadelphia townhouses and rowhouses have basements that are underground and require some yearly townhouse maintenance. Drafty windows, cracks and crevices in the basement can be a big energy drain on the house. If it snows, the ground also gets colder, making the underground basement chillier than the rest of the home. The first step is to check the door of the basement to ensure that cold air isn’t seeping into the main living area. Next, address any window leaks — you may want to invest in having new energy-efficient basement hopper windows installed, as it’s a fairly quick and inexpensive job. If your basement is older and unfinished, you might also want to get a caulking gun and walk around the basement checking for drafts (use the same method you’d use to check for door drafts). Take your time caulking the cracks and holes closed so that air won’t come in or escape.

When’s the best time to make these improvements? Start making plans to weatherproof your Philadelphia townhouse in the month of October or November. This townhouse maintenance task requires a small investment of time and money that can reap you large rewards when you see your energy bill this winter.

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