WICHITA, Kan. (KAKE) - Wichita has already received more than 14 inches of snow this winter. But with temperatures continuing to decrease ahead of this weekend, some people may be interested in winterizing their homes. The good news: there still is time. 

While summertime is their busiest time, Mr. Handyman technicians told KAKE they always see an uptick in calls during storms or other winter weather events. He shares some of their best tips on how you can keep your home safe and warm this week.

“The easiest way to prepare is keeping doors, windows, everything else sealed so that the heat that’s in your home stays in your home,” said technician Nate Woodrow. 

Insulation is extremely important, whether you get an expert to come out or do it yourself. Insulated tape or weather seal foam adhesive can be used to line doors, wrap pipes, and more. 

If you have a doggy door, there is a way to keep it properly sealed.

“If you feel like a lot of cold air is getting in here, you can cut a piece of foam, insulated foam to fit the space and put it in there as another measure,” said Woodrow. 

The colder it gets outside, the more vulnerable your pipes are inside. On top of keeping a constant drip on your faucets, there is another simple thing you can do.

“With your pipes that are in your house, typically a lot of them are running behind cabinetry and things like that, so if you want to leave your cabinets doors open so they’re getting the heat from the rest of your house inside there to help keep those pipes warm,” said Woodrow. 

In addition, there are other ways to ensure your home stays warm during the winter months.

“Change filters in your furnace to help with efficiency. If you have a fireplace you’re not using, you can close the flue vent on that to help keep heat in,” said Woodrow. 

You can also switch your ceiling fans into winter mode so the warm air in your home circulates around the room instead of just rising to the top. But you cannot always avoid every weather related issue.

“It’s always good to have a plan with your family if your furnace quits, if the electricity goes out...somewhere that maybe you guys can go to stay warm because it's going to be even more important that you’re safe, even over your home,” said Woodrow. 

Planning ahead and using preventative measures is almost always cheaper than replacing burst pipes, so get ready today and tomorrow before the colder weather hits later this week.