Keeping your home safe & warm
7 Tips For Winterizing Your Home
Autumn is here! Before the temperature drops below freezing and the snow hits Northern Indiana, it’s important to prepare your home. Winterizing your home has many benefits. From your roof to your floors, the safety of your home and everyone who lives in it relies on properly preparing your home for the winter ahead. Follow these 7 tips for winterizing your home to stay protected from freezing temperatures, snow, and ice damage.
Tip #1: Clean Your Gutters
It’s important to clean your gutters every fall. Leaves, twigs, shingle granules, and other debris can clog your gutters over time. In the winter, clogged gutters can lead to ice dams, which form at the edge of your roof and prevent melted snow from draining off the roof. If water cannot properly drain from your roof it can cause serious damage to your home. As moisture to seeps into your roof, walls, and down to the foundation you may notice signs of water damage and mold growth.
Another risk is to your gutters themselves. Snow and ice can put a lot of weight on your gutters. If they cannot properly drain or aren’t securely fastened to your home, your gutters may begin to sag, pull away from your roof or even pull completely off your roof in the winter. For expert advice on cleaning your gutters, check out this article!
Tip #2: Trim Trees
As mentioned before, snow and ice carry a lot of weight. If you have tree branches that hang over your home, it’s important to trim these branches back before winter. If you’ve South Bend -Mishawaka area in the winter, you know how common ice storms are. These storms easily take down branches or even entire trees. By trimming tree branches back in the fall you can prevent branches from falling on your home and causing serious damage to your roof.
Tip #3: Seal Entry Points
Take a look around the inside and outside of your home for any cracks, holes, or deteriorated weather stripping. From the inside of your home, you should be able to feel if a draft of cold air is coming in around your windows and doors. If you notice a draft, replace the weather stripping around your windows and doors, and caulk any cracks or holes around the exterior of your home. This will help insulate your home from the winter cold, lowering your heating costs, and will help keep out any pests looking for a place to weather the winter.
Even without any cracks or gaps, older windows will poorly insulate your home. While the upfront cost can be high, investing in new windows can help lower your energy costs year-round, keeping your controlled air in your home and the uncomfortable outdoor temperatures out! If you’re thinking about new, energy-efficient windows for your home, check out these tips before you buy.
Tip #4: Check Your Heating System
Residential fires are most common in the winter months. One way to help prevent catastrophic damage to your home is by making sure your heating systems are ready for the winter. Furnaces, boilers, fireplaces, and chimneys should be serviced annually to protect your home, lower your heating costs, and keep your home comfortable.
Tip #5: Invest in Door Mats
While many new or high-end flooring options are water-resistant, some floors (especially natural wood floors) can be seriously damaged in the winter. Tracking in snow, mud, and salt can cause staining on hard-surfaced floors and carpets. Even if your floor is water-resistant, salt can scratch your floors and salt water will leave white residue marks on your flooring. Before winter you’ll want to invest in some door mats. Outdoor door mats will help clear the snow, mud, and salt off your boots, while indoor door mats will provide a place for your boots to dry without tracking snow or salt through your home.
Tip #6: Protect Pipes
Any time outdoor temperatures drop below freezing, there is the risk of pipes bursting. Cracked pipes can cause water damage, flooding, and electrical shortages in your home. To protect your pipes from bursting you can use tubular pipe wrap, rolled pipe wrap, or insulation fittings to insulate your pipes. If you’re heading out of town, make sure you have someone stop by your home to run all of your faucets and flush the toilets daily. By keeping the water throughout your home flowing, you can prevent pipes from freezing.
Tip #7: Stock Up
Winter storms can be a huge inconvenience! When bad snowfalls hit the area, from when your road will be plowed to when power will be restored, there are many unknowns. It’s best to be prepared! Here’s a checklist of things to get before winter:
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Snow Shovel
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Rock Salt
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Gas (for car and snow blower)
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Propane or Kerosene Space Heater (classified for indoor use)
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Heated Blankets
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Portable Power Banks
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Batteries
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Flashlights
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Bottled Water
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Hot Beverages
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Canned Goods/Non-Perishable Foods
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Snack Foods
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Pet Supplies
Thanks for reading! We hope these tips help you prepare for the winter. If you have any questions or need help winterizing your home, don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We offer a wide variety of home services that can help keep you safe and cozy this winter. Contact Clayton Hoover & Sons at ClaytonHoover.com/roofing for a free roof inspection, new gutters, gutter guards, new windows/doors, new water/scratch-resistant flooring, or other home repair and remodeling services. Whatever your home needs, we’re always here to help.
