Now that winter is amongst us, it’s important to take necessary precautions to ensure your home is equipped for the cold weather. We’ve put together a general overview of how to safeguard everything from your plumbing to gutter maintenance.
Prep Your Plumbing
Plumbing is especially susceptible to the cold and freezing conditions. Mending burst pipes can be extremely expensive, so this is essential if you’re looking to avoid costly repairs. Important factors to remember while prepping your plumbing include:
- Drain the water from your outdoor faucets and garden hoses
- Store garden hoses inside
- Determine which of your pipes, if any, are “problem” pipes that are prone to freezing in the house. Use heat tape to keep them warm during extremely cold weather.
Before Heating
We all look forward to cozy days by the fire when it gets chilly out; however, it’s important that you are enjoying your fireplace safely. We recommend following these steps before warming up by the fireside.
- Have fireplace professionally inspected and cleaned
- Vacuum vents and other heating components
- If your furnace has a filter, check to see if it needs replacing
General Home Preparations
Some winter home preparations are neglected during all the chaos and busyness, but it’s the small things that can make a big difference! Taking these simple steps can save you from costly repairs in the future.
- Replace the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Make sure a smoke detector is installed on every floor of your home.
- Set your ceiling fan blades to move clockwise – the idea is to lift cool air to the ceiling and push heated air down. If your ceiling fan doesn’t have a remote control or remote switch, you can manually adjust the switch on the fan body. Run fans slowly and enjoy!
- Check the roof for missing or damaged shingles, and have them replaced.
- Ensure that your gutters are clean and free of leaves or other debris. Wet leaves left in the gutters over winter add significant weight when frozen and increase the risk of damage.
- Keep away unwanted drafts by sealing cracks and gaps in windows and doors with caulk or weather stripping.
- Insulate exterior outlets and switch plates with inexpensive foam sealing gaskets.