We don’t want to let these cold winter months keep you down and for that reason we have written this article to make sure you know what kind of home improvement projects can be done in the winter, and of course avoid you future headaches that can be caused by home issues.
According to HomeLight’s Top Agent Insights Survey for Q3 2020. People spent about 40% more time in the house during the winter than during the summer, plus 67% of top agents say that building materials and labor for home renovations are the cheapest between October and March. Take this into consideration if you are planning your home renovation and thinking that you should wait until spring or summer.
Here are our picks for the best winter home improvement projects that take advantage of potential savings and provide that fresh feeling buyers seek in a home on the market once spring and summer arrives.
Roofing shingles replacement
A roofing replacement project can take anywhere from one day to a couple of weeks to install and it will depend of the roof’s size. We recommend that you work with your roofer to choose a timeframe that is acceptable. Here we will give you some picks you should take into consideration before you start your roofing project:
- One of the benefits of replacing your roof in the winter is that roofing companies are typically busiest in spring, summer and fall, for that reason the price is higher during these seasons. You can typically get a roof installed for a lower price during colder months when there’s less work to go around.
- It’s very important to hire a responsible roofing company that have a license and insurance. Roofing jobs during winter needs to be planned well to avoid dangerous situations. The crew will have to clear any ice and snow off the roof to avoid accidents once they begin any work, and if the surface is slippery, they’ll have to slow down for safety. Roofers can’t wear heavy gloves or boots because they won’t be able to grasp nails or bend their toes to maintain their footing. The roofer or supervisor in charge has to evaluate the weather conditions and make a fair determination of whether it’s safe to work that day or not, in order to protect your home and the roofing crew.
- If you ask roofing contractors, some might tell you that it’s never okay to replace a roof during the winter because adhesives will not seal properly, or the caulk won’t work in cold weather.
It might be a reasonable explanation, but is it accurate? Do roofing materials simply stop working when the temperatures dip too low?
The answer is simple: No. Replacing your roof during the winter might even be better for your roof’s longevity if you do. - Some shingles brands specify temperature ranges between 40 and 85 degrees for proper installation. It means that Shingles can be easily damaged in temperatures outside this range. For this reason, it is important to pay attention to the manufacturers information before you start any installation.
Siding Replacement
Replacing your old home siding is a vital thing that can’t wait until the end of the season to be done, especially when winter is coming or is already here. Some people might think that a home siding installation can be better during the spring or summer instead of winter. But this is not true, you can replace the home siding during the colder seasons too. Believe it or not, there are many benefits and advantages that you can reap from installing the home siding during the coldest months of the year:
Cold Weather
A new siding installed during the winter months can provide different benefits to your home, such as quickly pay off of your investment, because once the installation is complete, you can expect that your energy bills to be lower than they were before, and of course you can get a better price and more flexible scheduling than you would in the warmer seasons.
Go Easy With The Yard
Other advantage is that you don’t need to be worried about landscaping during the installation process. Scheduling your project for the winter might be a perfect fit. Since the ground will be frozen solid, your plants and lawn will have no idea we are even there. The best thing of all is that you won’t lose any of your valuable gardening time during the installation!
Maximize Your Installation Time
If you are planning to schedule your home siding project for winter time, you don’t have to worry that it can takes two to four weeks to have the project done. Installation in the winter means that we work at a time of year when you aren’t even outside of your home enough to notice it, and when the snow melts you will have a brand-new exterior siding to enjoy!
Windows Replacement
You must be wondering what’s the best time of the year to replace your windows. Well, let me tell you that the answer may surprise you. Most of the time, a window replacement is considered a warm-weather project, but the truth is that winter is a great time to have new windows installed.
Other thing to consider is that during the warmer months, it is more difficult to notice which windows are causing problems. The cold weather also helps with identifying which windows need to be replaced, just walk from room to room, and you will notice which rooms are colder. Drafty windows can be easy to identify when there’s cold air entering the rooms through cracks around them.
Winter window installation may take some extra preparation but homeowners who replace windows during winter months can notice an immediate difference in the level of comfort after the replacement. In addition to added comfort, you will experience energy savings for the rest of the heating season.
Insulate the Attic and Crawl Spaces
Protecting you from the cold is one of your house’s primary functions. That’s why insulating your home’s attic is one of the best winter home improvement projects that will ensure your interior spaces stay as warm as possible. The best thing of all is that this is an easy project that can have a big impact on your indoor comfort.
Other important things that we recommend if you are planning to insulate your home is air sealing any areas of your home that need it before you start with insulation steps. A reliable insulation contractor can determine how much and what type of insulating material your home needs, but in general, the higher the “R-value,” or thermal resistance, the more effective the insulation is. If your attic has an equivalent of R-30, your home could likely benefit by adding more.
If you are planning to insulate your home because your energy bills are pretty high, we recommend you to first evaluate your home through a home energy audit. This will outline how much energy your home consumes, including areas of problems and they will tell you how to fix them.