In cold-winter climates, the various structural and mechanical systems in a home have an extra load when it comes to protecting against the elements. At this time, water can be a problematic opponent, but the challenges are higher in regions where water displays as ice for weeks or months at a time. Here is a guide you can follow to protect your home from freezing weather and all the problems that happen due to this weather.
How Do You Prepare Your Home For Cold Weather
How Do You Prepare Your Home For
Cold Weather?
During frigid climates, your house’s structural and mechanical systems endure undue strain.
While water may be a formidable foe even under the most favorable of circumstances, the
problems are immense in areas where water freezes for weeks or months. However, preparing
your house for winter might be a superfluous task and even out of your mind before fall.
Commencing earlier may help ensure your house is fully prepared to confront fall and winter.
If your area experiences extreme winters, make a strategy to protect your home so you can
have peace of mind when the first abrupt freeze hits! Here we have enlisted a few steps to
safeguard your house from frigid temperatures and the challenges that come with them!
Checklist to Prepare Your House for Cold Weather
Insulate the Pipes:
You might not know, but any exposed pipes traveling along a wall or residing in an enclosed
location, like a basement or crawl space, pose a significant risk. The water inside the pipe
might freeze and rupture if temperatures fall below 32 degrees Fahrenheit. Fortunately, you
can safeguard the pipes by insulating them. You can purchase it from the hardware. Cut it to
length, wrap it over the pipeline, and use duct tape to fasten it.
Seal Holes or Cracks:
Even trivial openings, like your cable connections or phone lines entering your property,
might let frigid air into your home, enabling interior heat to escape. Use foam insulation, like
Great Stuff Spray foam, to seal the openings. Subsequently, to remedy any holes around your
doors and windows, consider applying weather stripping, spray foam insulation, or caulking.
Inspecting the home’s exterior for cracks and gaps should be an annual ritual in colder
climates, safeguarding your home from the ramifications of freezing temperatures.
Inspect Tree Branches:
More significantly, examine your property for branches overgrown over the garage, home,
driveway, or power lines, as they may fall during a storm and cause substantial damage. Also,
branches clashing against each other may be prone to breakage. Inspect dead limbs, like dead
leaves, smooth patches that lack bark, or spots where mushrooms have developed. Contact an
arborist instantly if you detect anything unusual.
Observe Your Thermostat:
Keep your thermostat operating consistently by having extra batteries on standby. Also,
inspect your HVAC systems from the air duct cleaning Davis professionals to ensure they
are working optimally.
Clear the Gutters:
Uncleaned gutters might enable the dirt to freeze into significant ice cover that can creep
beneath shingles and harm the roof. Thus, consider cleaning your gutters to elude such issues.
Also, while cleaning the gutters, ascertain that you have a companion to assist you.
Alternatively, you might hire a professional to clean the gutters for you.
Inspect Attic Ventilation:
Ensuring adequate attic ventilation can prevent ice formations on the roofs. Inspect your attic
for insulation obstructing your soffits or attic vents. The unhindered airflow in the attic may
prohibit warm air from melting snow on the roof, refreezing the roof edges.
Keep the Garage Doors Closed:
Consider keeping your garage doors closed in winter if it’s connected to your home. Doing so
will prevent cold air from entering your house while safeguarding your garage’s plumbing
systems and pipes in the shared walls between your house and garage.
Roof Inspection:
This step is most important when preparing a house for winter. If you cannot reach your
home’s roof, a professional can examine it for loose or damaged shingles. Any inspector you
hire should also be able to perform minor repairs in the afternoon (replacing shingles is
usually a quick process). It costs more than you want to spend, but ignoring it for a whole
winter might result in considerably higher repair fees later on.
-----Source-----
https://bignewstime.com/how-to-prepare-house-for-the-freezing-temperatures/
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