The winter weather can really take a toll on your home, so preparing for this is essential. Use these tips from Home Key Title to start getting your home ready to take on the winter successfully.
Prepare Your Home for Winter
During the winter season, the weather can get crazy. From rainstorms to snow, there are plenty of factors that can affect your home. Because of this, it’s important that you prepare your home to take on these conditions without suffering damage. To prepare your home, use these simple tips.
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Clean Your Gutters
During the winter, you can expect some rain and sometimes even some snow. Don’t get caught unprepared and with clogged gutters. Before a big storm hits your town, be sure to take some time to clean out your gutters and downspouts. Since these can get quite the buildup of dry leaves, dirt, and other debris during the fall, they can get clogged easily during a rain shower. This can cause a backup, leading to water pooling in them. As this happens, your gutters can get very heavy, break off, and lead to water pooling over the foundation. To prevent this sort of damage, pull up a ladder, and use some gloves to clear out your gutters. Once you’re done, use a hose to ensure the downspouts are also free of clogs.
Check the Roof
While you’re up there clearing out the gutters, don’t forget to also check on your roof. With the storms approaching, making sure your roof is ready to handle all of this is a must. Look out for spots where shingles are missing or broken. These can be replaced or spot fixed easily, so don’t put it off any longer. You may not feel comfortable doing this yourself, and that’s completely fine. Call the professionals to get this work done so you aren’t left stressing every time it rains.
Keep Things Warm With Insulation
Keeping warm air in your home while keeping the cold out is a must during the winter. Having proper insulation in the right parts will make it much easier to accomplish this. One of the most important parts of your home that will need insulation is the attic. Ideally, your insulation should be 10 to 14 inches deep to be effective, so be sure to take note of this. If your attic has no insulation or it’s very sparse, now is the perfect time to take care of this. Be sure to cover the floor with it to prevent warm air from escaping through the attic. This can also keep cold air out of your home that filters in through the attic.
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Have Your Heating System Serviced
If your home gets very cold in the winter, chances are you rely on your heating system to make things cozier. Before turning it on this season, it’s a great idea to get it serviced first. This will ensure your heating system works and works safely. The professionals can clean out any parts that need it while also replacing old filters that won’t be able to perform effectively anymore. Not only will this ensure your home stays heated safely, but it can also lead to a more efficient system that helps you save money.
Clean out the Fireplace
Having a fireplace at home is great during the winter, but don’t start a fire in it quite yet. If you haven’t cleaned the fireplace since you last used it last winter, it may not be safe for use quite yet. Old fires may have left residue on the fireplace and chimney walls, making these flammable and unsafe. To ensure you won’t run any danger when starting a fire in your fireplace, clean these yourself, or hire a professional service to take care of it for you.
Seal All Cracks and Holes
If you’re struggling to keep your home warm, this may be due to cracks and holes letting the warm air out and the cold air in. You can easily fix this yourself with the right tools. Take a walk around your home’s exterior and look closely around the doors and windows. There may be cracks or holes around these letting the cold in. Use some caulk to cover these up in no time. You can also use door sweeps on doors that let the cold in through the open space they have above the floor.