If you live in a place that has cold winters, it is important to get your home ready for the winter season. Winter brings snow and ice, which can cause major damage when they melt and refreeze on your property. You should prepare in advance this fall so you don’t have to scramble last minute. Here are the top things you should do around your house to prepare for this winter.
Insulate Your Pipes
If you don’t insulate your pipes all winter long, they will freeze as soon as cold weather hits. The temperature inside the walls rises when it is warm outside. It falls as temperatures drop indoors at night or during prolonged periods without heat. Make sure that no part of any pipe is located within an unheated area. Such as an exterior wall gets below 32 degrees Fahrenheit for more than 48 hours. You can call a professional plumber who specializes in thawing frozen plumbing lines.
Check Your Roof
The roof is one of the most important aspects to get ready for winter. It can cause damage if not treated properly before cold weather hits. If you have a flat or shingle roof, check your ventilation system. You need to make sure that there are no vents covered up with anything. Also, clean off all debris from rain gutters so water doesn’t back up under shingles and leak into walls or ceilings inside. It should only take about 30 minutes to do this task!
Clear All Debris And Leaf Piles Away From Foundation
Clearing away debris is an important tip for winterization. This is especially true if you have a wooded lot with lots of leaves and branches around your home. They will attract pests such as raccoons, mice, squirrels, or skunks living under the crawlspace. It creates an easy path into your basement or garage where rodents can build nests above ceiling insulation.
Clean The Chimneys
If you use gas logs in your fireplace, then it is important to ensure that all creosote has been removed from them. Make sure to do this before the winter season. Creosote buildup happens when there are incomplete combustion gases produced during heating cycles that condense along with flue tiles. This substance can ignite anytime between November through March unless cleaned out first! It could cause major damage to your home and burn down your neighborhood!
Clean Your Gutters
If your gutters are blocked by debris, then they won’t be able to do their job of draining rain and melting snow. It is important not only for protecting your roof and home exterior but also because it can cause some serious damage. Damage will occur if water overflows into crawlspaces where insulation may become wet. Make Sure to get out there and clean your gutters
Remove Debris And Leaves From Yard
This applies during fall clean-up when you want to ensure there aren’t leaves or branches blocking access ways around the property. It could make them treacherous with ice or snow present during winter months! Also, clear out any firewood piles away from the building. This will make it so rodents don’t have easy shelter to build nests under porches or decks. Be smart about this one too because firewood should be stored at least 20 feet away from buildings.
