15 ways to protect your home this winter before Neiger, according to experts
Keep your home safe this winter, no matter what mother nature has in store.
The days become shorter, the temperature temperature and before knowing it,Winter will be here. Although each season comes with its fair share of frustrations, winter is definitely the worst for your home. Between the camouflaged spots of black ice and snowstorms that come out power for days, the most expensive season is wreaking havoc on homes at the national level. If you want to keep your home and all the people and all the people of IT - Safe-Safe this winter, it's time to start checking these essential maintenance tasks in your task list before the first snow falls.
1 Fill the gaps around your windows or doors.
These small cracks in your doors and your windows may not seem like a big deal, but in the winter, they give hot air circulating in your home a means of escape, explainsWhiteVice President of Technical ServicesRainbow InternationalA neighboring company specializing in water damage, fire damage and mold restoration. In addition to this, these cracks can considerablyDriving your heating invoice, also.
Before the temperature falls too low, inspect all the entries and exit in your house where the air could be able to escape - and if you find cracks, be sure to repair them with caulking (in the case of Something stop like a door frame) or weather stripping (in the case of something that moves like a window or door).
2 Delete all debris from your gutters.
Before a big storm hits your area and covers your home, make sure your gutters are free from all debris or you could end up with expensive repair in your future.
"Ice dams can be formed when goutting and drain crack and can cause water to back up and freeze, which often leads to water in homes," says white.
So, what signs of damage should you keep an eye on? "Look for misunderstanded leaks and hoses in gutters and make sure that descent descents wear water away from the Foundation," says White. Considering that it can cost thousands of people have a dry partition or a plaster of a room removed and replaced, keeping clean gutters can be a huge long-term money economizer.
3 Shrink-wrap your windows.
If you want to keep your home warm and prevent the water from getting inside this winter, it's time to direct you to your local hardware for a window film.
These kits usually include a retractable plastic film applied on the inner window frame with double stick tape and [is] then heated with a hair dryer to shrink the film and adhere to the glass, "explainsDoctor franchiseKevin Tennant. It notes that this is particularly important for underground areas, such as basements, as well as non-isolated portions of the house.
4 Remove the air conditioners from the window unit.
Although it may seem obvious, if you have not yet deleted your air conditioners in your window, it's now time to do it, saysMark Dawson, COO ofMISTER SPARKY ELECTRIC. Not only do the showcases allow a large amount of hot air to get out of your home, when it is stacked with snow, they can become unstable, potentially weighing on and cause damage to your coating. In addition, if they are not secured, they might fall, harm that it is under them or anyone who passes.
5 Cover exposed pipes with insulation.
In any part of your house where the heating is rare, such as garages and sanitary spaces, it is important to make sure your pipes are protected by the insulation.
"Use thermal tape around the inclined pipes to freeze," suggestsDoyle JamesPresident ofMr. Rooter Plumbing, a neighboring company. If you decide not to isolate, water inside your pipes could freeze, force them, crack and light. The result? Damage caused by water, the development of potentially toxic mold and even flooding.
6 Disconnect your hose.
Before finding yourself stuck with expensive water damage to clean, be sure to disconnect the pipe from outside your home.
"If left connected, the hose can freeze, develop and cause a burst of connected interior pipes", explains James.
7 And drain your outdoor water lines.
It's not because you have disconnected your pipe does not mean that you are safe from leaks. To make sure that you will not have frozen pipes and leaks to deal with this winter, "turn off the water valves for outdoor pins if you have them and drain from your lines of your lines. Exterior water, "says James.
8 Ask your chimney.
Make sure to check your fireplace before the holidays to ensure adequate ventilation. Before turning on the first fire of your fireplace this season, make sure you have inspected and cleaned by a professional - or you could endanger you inadvertently.
"Dirty, blocked, cracked and leakage of chimneys, chimneys and ventilation can cause the liberation of the pollution of the chimney in your house, as can be incorrectly installed or maintained incorrectly components", explainsRichard Cresi, a franchise owner based in Louisville deRange, a neighboring company.
9 Check your roof for any damage.
Take a ladder and climb your roof to check any missing or damaged or flashing coating. According toUnited States Automotive Association (USAA), Ignoring any damage "can leave water and ice in your house", so it is better to take care of all the roof repairs before the first snowfall.
10 And add a roof rake to your shopping list.
According toInsurance Institute for Business Security and House Going throughUnited States todayThe average roof can contain about four feet of fresh snow before it starts. However, fresh snow stacks quickly, so it is important to make sure you turn off and prevent serious roof damage before it starts. And the unique tool that will help you do that? A roof rake, of course.
11 Make sure your attic is properly ventilated.
Remember to keep your loft warm all winter will help you reduce the worst winter? Still think. "A warm attic can contribute to the damage caused by the ice dam by melting the snow in the middle of your roof and flows towards the gutters where it can take refuge," according to the experts ofAmerican home shield. In order to keep your Cool attic, the home guarantee company recommends sealing cracks or holes in the ceiling to avoid any heat from the leaking house in the attic (and, therefore, the roof).
12 Isolate the floor of the attic.
While insulating that your attic ceiling can look like a no-evidence, isolate your soil attic is just as important when it comes to the winter preparation at home. As adequate ventilation, the insulation that your attic soils can also help you make sure that the attic maintains a cool temperature and that the snow melted on your roof was not transformed into a Pesky ice dam.
13 Blow the heat even when you are outside.
In the dead of winter, do not turn off the heat when you leave the house for the day. You may not be at home to enjoy the heat of your thermostat, but heat could leave your pipes vulnerable to gel and bursting.
14 Keep drops drops.
Although it may seem counter-intuitive, keep the water running when the temperature dips can actually prevent the water from freezing the inside. When the outdoor temperature falls below the freezing, make sure to maintain the cold water to be drip of all faucets that rely on current pipes outside. Keeping water, even such a tiny level, can help prevent liquid from the pipes to freeze and flee or refresh the pipes.
15 Cut the dead tree branches.
All it takes is a strong snowfall for this fragile branch that emerges on your roof to crash on your home - and the bigger the branch, the more the repairs are expensive. If you want to avoid an expensive repair situation, it is best to cut the dead tree branches surrounding your home before heavy snow and ice, making them less likely to cause damage to your home or damage when You are outside. .