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Home Prep for Winter: Jack Frost is fast approaching. As temperatures tumble, and the risk of extreme weather increases, it’s wise to be proactive in protecting your nest. Here are some steps to prepare your home for wintry conditions.
Home Prep for Winter
Insurance
Every homeowner should have insurance to protect against damage to their house and theft. It’s also beneficial to insure the contents of your home. If you don’t already have a home insurance policy, or your plan is due for renewal, use the Internet to compare prices and providers and consider upgrading your policy to provide more extensive, comprehensive cover.
It is always worth checking prices if you already have a policy, as many companies offer incentives for new customers. If you live in an area that is prone to adverse weather, it’s essential to ensure that your policy covers events such as flooding and severe storms.
Repairs
Carrying out home repairs is an excellent idea with cold weather around the corner. If you have loose tiles on your roof, you haven’t got around to repairing damage caused by a previous storm, or you have holes in your walls or problems with your furnace, now is the time to make some calls.
You can use online resources to find out how to fix hail damage on a roof, but it’s best to get in touch with professional roofing companies if you suspect that your roof has sustained extensive damage. If you live in an area with Amish, they are fantastic at getting it done quickly — most of the homes in my area use them. Undertaking repairs now will prevent the situation from getting worse and save you money in the long term.
Heating System Checks
Most of us rely on furnaces and heating systems to keep us warm when temperatures plunge and it’s freezing outside. Before winter sets in, schedule a routine furnace checkup and make sure all of the components are working properly. Routine services are designed to alert you to any potential issues and check performance. If there are problems with your heating system, HVAC techs will be able to identify and address the cause to make sure you don’t find yourself without any heat in the middle of winter.
Insulate External Pipes
If you live in a city or town that gets a lot of snow, ice, or frost in the winter, it is possible for your pipes to freeze. To lower risks, insulate your external pipes before temperatures drop. You can follow online tutorials and videos or seek advice from a plumber.
While you’re at it, make sure to remove the hose from your outside spigot. We forgot to do that one year before the temps dropped, and in the spring we realized this caused the pipe to burst. Thankfully, that area of the basement has concrete walls and tiled floors (it’s our laundry room), so there wasn’t a ton of damage but it could’ve been really bad otherwise and it still wasn’t a cheap repair.
Stock Up on Grit
Icy pathways and snow-covered driveways pose a major slip and trip hazard during the cooler months. If you’re expecting snow and a cold winter, now is the time to bolster your grit supplies. You can scatter grit on your driveway and external paths and stairways to reduce the risk of falls and accidents. It can also make it easier to get out and about if you need to drive to work or take the kids to school, for example.
Just last night I was laying in bed and my husband noticed a scar on the top of my foot and asked about it. The scar came from slipping on the ice when I was 7 months pregnant. It was on postal property, and it could’ve been a really expensive issue for them had I pursued legal recourse.
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