As the days get shorter and the leaves change color, the understanding that winter is right around the corner is never far from the mind. Though a lot of us have dreams of curling up with a good book and a mug of hot chocolate with a warm fire or dusting off the ski equipment and hitting the slopes, most savvy homeowners are considering preventing winter water damage. Sure, winterizing your house is a chore, but it is a job best done earlier rather than later. After all, preventing water damage from happening in the first place will spare you the heartbreak and cost of winter water damage.
Outdoor Winter Weatherization Measures
Get out those 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 which can harm your roof or siding, break windows, or even harm your car in addition to possibly injure somebody.
After the trees are cut back, then get the ladder out and clean out your rain gutters. When rain gutters are clogged with debris, ice dams may form. While this happens, melting snow and ice does not get diverted down the spouts as designed; rather the water seeps to the house, leaking through its ceiling and walls.
On a similar note, check the tracks of all windows and sliders to ensure that the tracks and water drainage holes are apparent. If water, ice, or snow cannot flow properly, the water will seep into your walls.
If your house has a crawl space, head underneath your home and checks to be sure that all exposed pipes are properly insulated. Do the same for almost any outside hose bibs.
In case you have a pool or hot tub, employ a pool specialist to winterize your system.
Indoor Winter Weatherization Steps
Now it’s time to move indoors. Since frozen pipes are among the main causes of winter water damage, pay special attention to your home’s pipes. All exposed pipes need to be properly insulated. Common places where exposed pipes can be found include unfinished garages, basements, mudrooms, and laundry rooms. While you’re at it, inspect these pipes for leaks and cracks.
Check and update the insulation in your house, particularly in your house’s attic. A poorly insulated loft allows a lot of heat to escape which may then cause a vicious cycle of melting and refreezing snow on your roof. This cycle can lead to ice damming that has the capacity to cause water seepage or possibly a collapsed roof.
Now’s a fantastic time to have your heating system, chimney, fireplace, and wood-burning stoves professionally serviced to ensure both safeties as well as functionality. You do not wish to find out your furnace is broken when it is freezing out. When the temperatures fall, heat the house and keep it at least 65 degrees.
Find your pipes system’s shutoff valves and be sure that you can shut the water off fast should your pipes burst. If necessary, keep a pipe wrench near valves that are not readily flexible or replace the valves.
Now that you have the home prepped to prevent water damage this winter, you are almost ready to hit those slopes. However, before you depart for an extended ski trip, make sure that you prepare your house for the possibility of water damage while you’re away! Maintain the home heated, open beneath sink cabinets to allow warm air to reach the pipes, and permit your faucets to drip. If you’ll be gone for quite a while, consider getting your water system completely drained by an expert.
Check out more information to prepare your property for winter in this informative article. During the cold season, there is also an increased risk of power outages. Tips to prepare yourself for winter storm blackouts are available here. For professional mold elimination, as well as fire and water removal services, contact your local PuroClean office.
