Seasonal Guide

Preparing Your Michigan Home for Winter

Michigan winters are unforgiving. Handle these before the first hard freeze and you’ll head off the most common (and expensive) cold-weather damage.

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Heating System

Your furnace will be working hard for several months. Prepare it before the temperature drops and you have to depend on it every day.

Schedule professional furnace service before heating season. Routine maintenance can catch small problems before they become a midwinter loss-of-heat emergency.
Install a clean furnace filter and keep extra filters available for later in the season.
Test the thermostat and consider using a programmable model to maintain a consistent indoor temperature.
Make sure furniture, rugs, and other objects are not blocking supply vents or return registers.

Before the Freeze

Pipes & Plumbing

Burst pipes are among the most expensive cold-weather problems, but much of the risk can be reduced with simple preparation.

Disconnect garden hoses, shut off exterior faucets when possible, and drain the remaining water.
Insulate exposed plumbing in basements, crawl spaces, garages, and other areas that may become cold.
Locate the main water shut-off valve before an emergency happens, and make sure household members know how to use it.
Keep the home heated consistently, including when traveling, to reduce the risk of pipes freezing inside exterior walls.

Good to know: Pipes located near exterior walls and in unheated spaces are usually the most vulnerable. Pay particular attention to kitchen sinks, bathroom plumbing, crawl spaces, and garages.

Up Top

Roof, Gutters & Ice Dams

Ice dams develop when heat escaping into the attic melts roof snow. The water then freezes again at the colder roof edge, where it can back up beneath shingles and enter the home.

Clean the gutters after the leaves have fallen so melting snow and ice can drain away properly.
Check for loose, damaged, or missing shingles before the roof becomes covered by snow.
Confirm that the attic has appropriate insulation and ventilation. These are the most important defenses against ice-dam formation.
Seal openings that allow heated indoor air to leak into the attic, including gaps around fixtures, wiring, plumbing, and attic access panels.

Why it matters: Ice dams can cause costly roof and interior water damage. The lasting solution is usually not at the roof edge—it is reducing heat loss into the attic so roof snow does not melt unevenly.

Seal It Up

Windows, Doors & Drafts

Drafts allow heated air to escape and cold air to enter. Sealing common leakage points can improve comfort while reducing winter energy use.

Replace cracked, compressed, or missing weather stripping around exterior doors and operable windows.
Caulk visible gaps around window frames, door trim, and other exterior openings.
Add foam gaskets behind electrical outlets and switch plates located on exterior walls.
Set ceiling fans to rotate clockwise at a low speed, helping move warm air down from the ceiling.

Just in Case

Safety & Emergency Prep

Winter storms can interrupt power and cause indoor temperatures to fall quickly. Basic preparation can keep a short outage from becoming a much larger problem.

Test every smoke alarm and carbon-monoxide detector. Carbon-monoxide risk increases when furnaces, fireplaces, and supplemental heaters are used more frequently.
Prepare an emergency kit with flashlights, batteries, drinking water, blankets, basic supplies, and a charged backup power bank.
Keep winter tools ready, including snow shovels, ice-melting material, and a roof rake for safely addressing heavy snow from the ground.
Service a standby or portable generator before it is needed and follow the manufacturer’s instructions for safe fuel storage and operation.

Safety reminder: Portable generators should never be operated inside a house, garage, basement, or other enclosed area. They must remain outdoors and well away from doors, windows, and vents.

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