With winter just a few months away, making sure your home is in pristine condition has never been more crucial. Let us help you plan for the season ahead with some of our favorite tips in the ultimate guide to preparing your home for winter.
Wrap Your Pipes
Wrapping your pipes is an excellent way to ensure that your home is ready for frigid temperatures. During the height of winter, your pipes become highly susceptible to freezing, causing them to burst and subsequently leak water into your home. As a result, your home’s foundation and structure can become severely damaged and unstable.
So, it’s crucial to wrap your pipes with materials that keep them warm and intact. You can go the old-fashioned route and cover your lines with cloth or Styrofoam, but we highly recommend you have professionally installed pipe protectors, as these are the best option for ensuring your pipes stay adequately insulated.
Declutter Your Gutters
Believe it or not, your gutters are another feature that can significantly impact the security of your home once winter rolls around. When you allow your gutters to fill with leaves and other debris, it accelerates snow and ice buildup. This acceleration pushes the snow and ice onto your roof, encouraging snow compaction and creating ice dams.
Of course, these issues later lead to roof instability and moisture buildup that can cause severe damage. So, if you examine your gutters and find that they have a surplus of leaves and debris, take a moment to clean them out thoroughly.
Inspect Your Roof and Siding
We can’t talk about winter preparations without mentioning your home’s roof and siding. First, because your roof is such a vital feature, it’s wise to have it inspected by a professional for any structural compromises, shingle damage, or sagging well before temperatures drop. Your roof will likely take on the brunt of snow and ice accumulation, so ensuring that it’s in pristine condition is critical to the health and stability of your dwelling.
Second, the siding of your home protects against internal damages and pests. Siding also plays an essential role in properly insulating your home’s interior. So, it’s beneficial to do a quick examination of your siding. And if you notice signs of chipping, rotting, or breakage, it might be time to call Viking Contractors LLC. We’ll set you up with the best siding installers in MN, so you can rest easy knowing that your home is ready for winter.
Examine Your Foundation
Ensuring that your foundation is in excellent shape is another primary factor in setting your home up for a successful winter. So, it’s wise to do a quick investigation of your foundation in late fall. You can do this by walking around the perimeter of your dwelling and checking for apparent signs of trouble, like cracking or poor drainage around the base of your house.
These sorts of issues can lead to leaks, water damage, and structural instability. So, if you notice these kinds of things, call a contractor out to perform a comprehensive inspection of your foundation. They can evaluate the specific problems you might have and quickly work to make the necessary repairs.
Make Sure Your Attic Is Properly Ventilated
Having proper ventilation in your attic is another critical aspect of preparing your home for winter. Your attic is the upper-most structure of your interior. Therefore, ensuring that hot air has a way to escape can drastically offset the chances of your home sustaining damage from moisture buildup, snow compaction on your roof, and the accumulation of hazardous ice dams. Lastly, a well-ventilated attic also maintains a comfortable atmosphere for the interior of your home, despite how cold it might be outside.
Seal Windows and Doors
Of course, ensuring that the interior of your home is warm and cozy throughout the winter is also crucial. It’s beneficial to improve the seals on your doors and windows to the best of your ability. There are a few ways you can do this. You can apply caulk to your seals for an additional layer of protection. Or, you can add weather stripping and have new door seals installed.
Either way, you’re sure to give the inside of your home an extra layer of insulation. Inherently, adequately sealing these features can help your home keep hot air from escaping and cold air from getting in. Not only will doing this keep your home comfortable, but it can also have a positive impact on your energy bill throughout the coldest months of the year.
Drain Your Sprinkler Systems
With so many other things on our winter checklists, many of us let our home’s sprinkler systems fall through the cracks. However, remembering to have these systems drained each year can help mitigate damage to your yard and other critical areas of your home. When you leave your irrigation system full of water, they will likely freeze over, leading to severe and costly damages.
Just as well, when warmer weather prevails, you might find that your yard has an influx of water, causing poor drainage and, later, issues within your home’s foundation. So, to be on the safe side, it’s always best to call your sprinkler servicer and have them come out and drain your systems. If nothing else, it gives your property another defense against potential damage.
Stock Up On Essential Supplies
One of the best ways to protect your home is stocking up on supplies that’ll make the season pass more smoothly. Especially if you live in a state that regularly experiences harsh weather, it never hurts to procure things like:
Rock salt
Snow shovels and rakes
Snow guards for your roof
Having these things at your disposal can assist you in the maintenance of your home throughout the winter. Just as well, they’ll help ensure that you can navigate your property safely and that your home isn’t taking on preventable damages.
Keeping your home in excellent shape will set you up for success once the temperatures drop. Hopefully, some of our points in the ultimate guide to preparing your home for winter can help you get a head start for the season.
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