As you batten down the hatches and fix things up for the cold weather, you might want to scan this list to make sure you’re doing everything properly.
Roof ventilation is a great help in preventing winter condensation, snow melt and ice damming, and a turbine vent can work even harder for you. These are the funny looking vents which spin in the wind and draw air up. But beware. A roof vent can do more harm than good if you neglect a key area. Many older homes had tight-fitting wooden tongue and groove soffits. At some point, these may have been “modernized” with ventilated aluminum soffits, but often, the contractors simply installed the aluminum over the wood. If there is no ventilation allowed from the outside through the eaves or through a gable vent, your turbine vent will only succeed in drawing moist air up from the house, causing condensation inside the attic. If you do have this situation, remove or drill holes in the old wooden soffits, being careful not to pierce the aluminum.
You know those plastic deflectors that are supposed to reroute heat from your registers into the room? Consider the location of the register before installing them. Registers underneath windows were placed there strategically to allow warm air to move over the window, decreasing the chance of condensation. If you divert it, you could end up with a condensation problem.
Most tubes of caulk contain enough compound to complete a 6’long 1/2″ diameter bead. If you’re going to need more than 5 tubes use a contractor grade gun. Buying caulking in bulk is cheaper.
If you’re spraying foam insulation around door and window frames, use low-expansion foam. Believe it or not, other expanding insulation can be strong enough to bow the frame.