With snowstorms in the winter forecast, it’s time to start thinking about what you will do to protect your home. Here are some ways to winterize your home for cold weather.
Insulate Your Heating System
If you have radiators, wrap pipes with foam insulation so that heat stays in, and your bills stay low. It’s also a good idea to install an insulated jacket on hot water tanks near exterior walls because this helps safeguard against pipes freezing and bursting during frigid temps.
Winterize your deck
Many homeowners don’t realize that when they leave the door on their deck open, the wood tends to warp. If you have a deck prone to this, apply a plastic or rubber material over the top with screws or nails at strategic points. For outstanding performance during the winter period, choose MoistureShield composite decking.
Winterize your gutters
If you have gutters in your home, close them off from the elements by ensuring no debris is allowed to fall between where the gutter meets the roof line and down into your gutters. Also, make sure to inspect for any nests and remove them because they’re a potential fire hazard. Keeping these areas clean will prevent roof leaks as well.
Clean out your dryer vent
If you have a dryer vent and you’re not using it, be sure to clean it out to keep any potential problems from occurring. To do this, you should pull out the dryer hose and use an air gun to blow out any lint or debris caught in the vent.
Seal off your fireplace
You’ll want to close up any unused chimneys in your home so that when winter comes around, there will be no chance of the house burning down due to a chimney fire. This can happen if there are dirty ashes in the fireplace and they burn into a house fire or if fires get started in careless ways, like when people leave a candle unattended.
Winterize your siding
If you have an exterior siding on your home, you should check if it’s been leaking or damaged by the elements. If it has, you should look into weatherproofing it so that your exterior doesn’t suffer damage. You can also put up a plastic or rubber barrier over the siding to protect it from water and snow accumulation. This will help to keep the moisture out of your home. Moreover, you can choose KWP engineered wood siding for better performance.
Put up storm shutters
If you live in a hurricane-prone region, it is time to ensure you have protective shutters on your windows. These shutters are essential because they’ll help to keep your windows protected at all times. This will ensure that you don’t have to replace your windows after a large storm has come through.
While you can’t take control of the weather, you can consider some ways to winterize your home and avoid damage during the winter season. Taking these few simple steps in advance will make your home much less likely to suffer damage during a storm or freeze. You should also get yourself Sherwood Lumber’s building products to avoid a lot of hustle during the winter season.