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Getting Your Home Ready For Winter

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Winter is fast approaching, and with this season comes harsh weather conditions. Cold rain and snow in the mountains can bring severe challenges to your home if routine maintenance has not been conducted. It’s important to take the time to clean, secure, and prep your home for anything the winter season may bring. Below we have listed some tips to ensure that your home is ready for this winter season.

Seal Windows And Doors

With the winter weather fast approaching, it’s important to check your windows and doors to ensure that there are no cracks or separations. Any separation will lead to cold air being able to easily enter your home, causing your home’s temperature to drop and forcing your heating system to work harder to warm the house. To prevent any cracks or cold air from coming in, consider investing in different products such as purchasing weather strips, installing door sweeps, re-caulking windows and doors, or insulating windows with window film. Checking to see if your doors or windows need any improvements early on when the weather is warmer, will help to prevent issues once the temperature begins to drop.

Service Furnace

Take time to check your furnace to make sure that it is functioning properly without any issues. You should check your furnace before winter officially hits so that if there are any problems, you can get ahead of them while it’s not freezing outside. Not doing so could put your home at risk of heating problems during the worst time. Taking good care of your furnace can prolong its lifespan and keep it running for a long time. Getting routine maintenance checks on your furnace at least once a year is important because it can prevent breakdowns and the need for repairs.

Check Roof And Gutters

It’s imperative to check your roof and gutters regularly to ensure that there are no issues. Checking and cleaning your gutters and roof can help to prevent clogged gutters which can lead to roof damage. If your gutters are clogged any water that is meant to go through them to drain will be unable to cause your roof to be at risk of rotting. If your roof begins to rot, it can also lead to damage inside the home causing your insulation to become wet which can create mold inside your home. Staying on top of the conditions of your roof and gutters will help prevent the likelihood of your roof rotting and leading to more significant issues.

Inspect Pipes

Another important aspect of your home to consider as the cold weather rolls in is to check your pipes. When the temperature drops, if your pipes are not in good condition, it can lead to your pipes freezing which can cause them to burst. When checking your pipes, be sure to check any pipes that may be exposed to the outside. Check unheated areas in your home such as attics, garages, or basements because those are more likely to freeze due to the lack of insulation that exists around them.

To ensure that they will be protected from the cold temperatures, you can add insulation to any of the spaces that lack insulation in your home, drain any water that is in any exterior pipes such as a sprinkler system or a pool, or install specific products that are made to insulate water. Pipe insulation can be used to provide heat to the pipes so that even though they are exposed, there is some heat going to the pipes. Using heat tape or heat cables is another way to bring heat to exposed pipes and prevent freezing.

Create an Emergency Fund

No matter how much work you put in to prepare your home for the colder months, there is always the risk of unexpected expenses. As you’re getting your home ready for the winter, you should also consider setting up an emergency fund. If anything were to happen, you must be able to have the financial ability to fix any maintenance issues or repairs that may come up. If setting money aside is not something that you are in a position to do at the moment, look into other ways to ensure that you will have money accessible if needed. Looking into a tax-deductible home equity loan can be a great way to get assistance when it comes to your finances. This type of loan can be especially helpful for any home improvement projects or repairs that may need to be done. Leveraging the equity that you’ve built up in your home through this type of loan, allows you to deduct the interest when used so you can use the money however you see fit.

Understanding what needs to be done before the cold weather is in full swing is vital to the upkeep of your home. Don’t let these maintenance checks get pushed off. Taking the time to prepare your home for the winter will allow you to enjoy the changing seasons, rather than stress over potential issues that could arise.

Thomas Howard

Written by Thomas Howard

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