While ice and snow cause thousands of dollars in damages to home owners each year, frigid weather and its impact on your home can be just as damaging. Leaks into a home caused by bursting pipes, poorly protected surfaces and ice dams are the most costly. There are many precautions you can take to help reduce the chance of severe damage to their home!

winterize-your-homeThe two most important steps a home owner can take are very simple! First, completely inspect your home for things that will cause undue stress on your heating system. Second, make sureeveryone in the house to know how to shut off the main water supply. Little things like protecting your home from drafts can add up and cause trouble, and if a pipe bursts youwant to make sure you can shut it down to minimize damage. You may even want to
consider having a plumber install an emergency pressure release valve for your pipes, which can protect your home from major damage.

These tips can help protect your home from the freezing weather:

  • Have your heating system checked and cleaned.
  • Make sure you are well-stocked with items you will need during the winter, such as snow shovels, sand and rock salt.
  • Prepare an emergency kit.
  • Install storm windows or doors.
  • Caulk around exterior window and door trim to cut down on drafts.
  • Add a layer of insulation to your attic.
  • Change the rotation of ceiling fan blades to push air down.
  • Remove leaves, sticks, and anything that may clog gutters.
  • Clear your yard of debris.
  • Trim trees and/or bushes away from the house and especially your roof.
  • Check around the foundation of your house for cracks and areas that water may puddle.
  • Drain and shut off outdoor water faucets, hoses and air conditioner pipes.
  • Insulate any water pipes that are exposed to freezing cold.

In the case of extreme cold that is complicated by severe weather such as snow and ice, you may not be able to avoid a cracked water pipe due to freezing. However, these tips can help reduce that risk:

  • Fit exposed pipes with insulation sleeves or wrapping to slow the heat transfer. The more insulation the better.
  • Seal cracks and holes in outside walls and foundations near water pipes with caulk.
  • Close all outside vents to crawlspaces during the winter season.
  • Keep cabinet doors open during cold spells to allow warm air to circulate around pipes (particularly in the kitchen and bathroom).
  • Keep a slow trickle of water flowing through faucets connected to pipes that run through an unheated or unprotected space. Or drain the water system, especially if your house will be unattended during cold periods.
  • Remove garden hoses from outside spigots. Drain outdoor faucets when freezing temperatures are forecast.

Leaks often occur during this season, causing water damage to ceilings and walls, and ruining carpets. Some leaks result from the formation of “ice dams,” which are an accumulation of ice at the lower edge of a sloped roof, usually at the gutter. Home owners can avoid the aggravation and expense caused by leaks and ice dams by taking several additional steps prior to cold weather:

  • Make sure gutters, downspouts and drains in basement stairwells are clear of leaves.
  • Window wells should be working properly and covered if possible.
  • Check the weather stripping around skylights and other roof openings.
  • Inspect your roof for missing or damaged shingles.
  • Maintain heat levels, keeping the attic no more than 10 degrees warmer than the outside air and inside the home no lower than 65 degrees. Add attic insulation if necessary.
  • Keep the attic well ventilated. The colder the attic, the less melting and refreezing on the roof.

Remember,  you have to attack the cold on several fronts. But the preventative measures all work together to reduce a home owner’s risk of a cold weather catastrophe. Preparing during the fall, before the very cold weather sets in, is a key.


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