For our snowbird friends, we thought we would share these Winterization Tips! With winter just around the corner, there are so many things you need to do to prepare yourself, your home, and your family for colder weather. With so many things to think about as the holiday season approaches, it can be difficult to know where to start. This article will help you make a plan to prepare your home for winter.
Prevent Roof Damage
When it comes to caring for your roof during the winter, you’ll want to consider the specific climate you live in. If you live somewhere with heavy snowfall, it’s often necessary to periodically clear the snow off your roof. This prevents the weight of the snow causing the roof to cave. It also prevents snow freezing and becomes even heavier as ice.
Additionally, according to Sunshine Contracting, you should pay attention to your gutters. When snow begins melting, cleared gutters are the key to successful run-off. If your gutters are blocked with leaves and debris, the melting snow will run off on the walls which could cause damage.
Winterization Tips: Protect Your Pipes
In addition to caring for your roof, be particularly careful with your pipes. According to Jennings Plumbing, it is essential to both perform maintenance on your pipes before winter hits but also to continue to check on them throughout the season.
Before winter comes around, perform the necessary precautionary steps to ensure that your pipes will not freeze when the temperature drops. There is a slightly different process for preparing indoor and outdoor pipes. But generally, you’ll need to turn off the pipe, drain excess water, and insulate the pipes with material found at most hardware stores.
Once you’ve prepared your pipes for winter, your work isn’t completely done. You’ll need to make sure that your pipes are not being damaged throughout the season. When temperatures reach atypical lows, turn the water on until it is barely dripping out the faucet. Having a steady stream of water can go a long way in preventing your pipes from freezing over.
Shut Down Sprinklers
In addition to protecting your plumbing, you also need to take a look at your sprinkler system. According to The Sprinkler Guy, winterizing your sprinklers involves purging the water from the system and shutting down the systems controller. You may also need to add insulation around the exposed pipes to ensure they won’t crack in cold temperatures.
Winterization Tips: Have Your Chimney Serviced
When you’re preparing your home for winter, having your chimney serviced is one of the most important things to get done. Why? Because your chimney acts as another entrance to your home—if it’s not cared for effectively, you could inadvertently have gusts of wind come roaring down the chimney that bring with them little critters or that even blow your fire inward. According to Fluesbrothers, a dirty chimney could also negatively impact the air quality in your home.
Hire a professional chimney sweep to come in and clear your chimney of debris. This will ensure that smoke doesn’t get backed up in the chimney. You should also make sure to inspect your chimney cap—the protective screen that goes on top of your chimney—so that your chimney is protected from uninvited guests.
Test Detectors
While it’s always important to have working smoke detectors, it’s especially important to test these before winter comes around. Temperature can adversely affect the effectiveness of your batteries. You can buy a battery checker at the store to check and see how much juice is left in your batteries.
It’s also important to clean away any dust that may have built up on your smoke detectors. This debris can prevent the smoke detector from functioning correctly. Use a vacuum to suck away the dust or you can use a cleaning wipe.
Winterization Tips: Prevent Slips and Falls
When winter rolls around, snow, slush, and ice can all pose challenges in daily life. But besides being somewhat annoying, these changes in weather can end up presenting you with particular risks if you don’t prepare well. Make a plan for snow removal and get all the necessary equipment before the first snow hits.
You need to get snow boots for the kids, put the snow tires on the car, and winterize your house. When there are so many things to do to prepare for winter months, using these suggestions can help you get a leg up on preparing your home. Consider your home’s specific situation to know what other things you should do so that your home is ready for lower temperatures.
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The post Winterization Tips Every Homeowner Needs to Follow This Season appeared first on Steelbridge Realty LLC.
source https://northfortmyersonline.com/2020/10/05/winterization-tips-every-homeowner-needs-to-follow-this-season/
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