Three months of winter can be a long time of discomfort if your home is not well prepared to withstand the harsh weather conditions. Worse still, frost and ice can cause costly damage, and the best way to handle winter is by being adequately prepared for it. Proper preparations should kick off early enough to avoid last-minute rushes and should focus on the following tips.
1. Fire up your heating system
When the freezing temperatures set in, you want your house to be warm and cozy for your family members. Heating system pipes can be easily blocked or corroded during summer when they are not in use. Start by unclogging any blocked pipes and replace the broken ones to fix any leaks. Remember, the boiler system requires cleaning once a year, while the gas system should be checked every three years. Also, as per romeosfuel.com, make sure to get home heating oil for your boilers at a great price to avoid hefty fuel costs.
2. Repair the gutter and the roof
Roofs and gutters can collect paddles of water in winter, which later results in cracks and crevices. If this happens, the chances are that you will end up with a botched leaking roof a few weeks into winter. Consider the several advantages of quality gutters, source them from a trusted dealer and have them fitted by a professional.
3. Prepare for emergencies
With winter come heavy storms, which lead to road closures and extended blackouts. An emergency plan comes in handy in such a situation as you will have your emergency kit ready. The emergency kit should have enough torches, batteries, first aid kits, at the very least. Keep your winter food stock full just in case you lose a connection to the nearest grocery store or shopping outlet.
4. Close any air leaks
Ensure that your windows and doors are sealed to prevent air leakage. Warming the house is energy consuming, and you want to keep every bit of warmed-up air inside your home. You can use an incense stick to detect any abnormal air currents on the entry points. Hold up a lit incense stick against the suspected leaking area; if there is a crack, the smoke will whirl around instead of directly rising. You can seal the cracks using caulk or by weather stripping. This is also the best time to add some insulated pex pipe to prevent air leaks. Preventing air leaks and insulating your windows can reduce your energy bills by 20%.
5. Check your drainage system.
Pipes running on the house’s exterior side, the attic, basement, or pool area are the most exposed during winter. If water freezes inside these pipes, they can burst due to anomalous expansion Burst pipes can mess up your drainage system and are expensive to repair.
Fortunately, you can avoid this by insulating your pipes, a process that is cheap and effective. Remember to start with the most vulnerable lines in the basement and the garage areas. For pipes serving the lawns, you can drain them completely for winter if they have a shut-off valve. If not, you can allow water to run gently to avoid freezing. Even small drips can do the trick.
Endnote
Poor preparation can lead to a painful winter experience for your family. It is important to always start your winter home preparation early in autumn to ensure that your home is warm and comfortable during winter. Better winter preparations also reduce the amount of money you will have to spend on energy bills and post-winter repairs.