Though a lot of people have dreams of curling up with a fantastic book and a mug of cocoa with a fire or dusting off the ski equipment and hitting the slopes, most savvy homeowners are considering preventing winter damage. Sure, winterizing your house is a job, but it is a job best done earlier rather than later. In the end, preventing water damage from happening in the first place will spare you the heartbreak and cost of chilly water damage. 

Get those out shears! It is time to trim your trees, paying particular focus on dead branches. Heavy ice and snow in addition to strong winter storms can split trees and shrub branches that may harm your siding or roof, break windows, or even harm your vehicle in addition to possibly injure somebody.

After the trees are cut back, then get the ladder out and wash out your rain gutters. While this occurs, melting ice and snow does not get redirected down the spouts as designed; instead, the water seeps to the home, leaking through its ceiling and walls.

On a similar note, check the paths of windows and sliders to ensure the paths and water drainage holes are apparent. If ice, water, or snow can’t flow properly, the water will seep into your walls.

If your house has a crawl space, go beneath your house and check to make certain all exposed pipes are properly insulated. Do the same for almost any outside hose bibs.

In case you’ve got a pool or hot tub, employ a pool specialist to winterize your system.

Indoor Winter Weatherization Measures

Now it is time to move inside. Since frozen pipes are among the chief reasons for winter damage, pay particular attention to a home’s pipes. All exposed pipes need to be suitably insulated. Typical places where exposed pipes are available to comprise unfinished grills, showers, mudrooms, and laundry rooms.

Assess and update the insulation in your house, especially in your house’s attic. This cycle may cause ice damming that has the capacity to cause water seepage or possibly a collapsed roof.

Now’s a fantastic time to get your heating system, chimney, fireplace, and wood-burning stoves professionally serviced to make sure both safeties in addition to functionality. You do not wish to find out your furnace is broken when it is freezing out. When the temperatures drop, heat the house and keep it at 65 degrees.

Find your pipes system’s shutoff valves and be certain you could shut the water off fast if your pipes burst. If needed, maintain a pipe wrench near valves that aren’t readily flexible or replace the valves.

Now you have the home prepped to prevent water damage this winter, you are nearly ready to hit on those slopes. However, before you depart for an elongated ski trip, be certain that you prepare your house for the potential for water damage while you’re out! Maintain the house heated, open beneath sink cabinets to permit warm air to get to the pipes, and permit your faucets to drip. If you’re going to be gone for quite a while, consider getting your water system entirely drained by an expert.

Check out more information to prepare your house for winter in this informative article. During the cold season, there is also a heightened risk of power outages. Ideas to prepare yourself for winter storm blackouts can be found here. For professional mold elimination, in addition to fire and water damage restoration services, contact your regional PuroClean of Clairemont office.