Tips for keeping your property safe during cold weather periods

4 Important Ways To Protect Your Home From Cold Weather

The coldest season of the year has finally arrived and it seems it will be a long, cold winter this year. Therefore, you need to prepare your house so as to avoid any damages that may happen because of extreme weather conditions. Read on to find out exactly what to do if you are planning to get away or if you simply want to make this winter a lot easier not only for you and your family but also for your house.

Maintenance period – Outside Fixtures

If you want to be prepared for the possible hazards of winter, you will have to do some repairing before the season finally arrives. Maintaining your house in a good condition is the best way to protect it from snowstorms, blizzards and ice dams during winter. Most people fail to understand that the summer season is not just for having fun and sunbathing, it is also an ideal time of year to fix any damage your house has.

In the first place, you should check that your window shutters are in good condition. It is of public domain that strong winds can blow any loose parts away and this poses a threat to your family and neighbours. It is also important to make sure that there are no cracks from which cold breeze can enter your house. If there were any cracks, you could seal your windows with a waterproof filler and sealant. Another important thing you should do is check that your roof does not have any loose tiles, or cracks. If you find any cracks or tiles that are not properly attached on the roof, it is of vital importance to have them repaired as soon as possible to avoid any leakage when winter arrives.

Apart from checking for cracks and loose tiles, you will have to clean the drainpipes and troughs so as to avoid leakages as well. If you feel your house is not warm enough for you, you can always use insulating material on the roof to help you keep your home warm in winter. If you have a fireplace and want to use it next winter, remember to have it cleaned in order to avoid any unwanted fires. Make sure that your trees are neatly trimmed, this way you will avoid any branches being blown away in case of blizzard.

Inside fixtures

Apart from checking that everything is in working conditions on the outside, you need to check that everything is in perfect condition on the inside as well. One of the most common problems during harsh wintertime is unthawed piping. In order to prevent the freezing and even bursting of your pipes you should use a special insulating material to cover them as burst pipes are one of the leading causes to basement flooding problems.

If you are going on a trip a good idea is to leave the water running a bit, this will help you prevent any damage to your pipes. Something else that needs to be checked at least once a year is your boiler. Nothing can beat a warm bath to get rid of cold. However, if your boiler does not work properly you might have difficulty doing this. Another good idea is to purchase surge protectors to protect your appliances from electrical storms. If you know there might be a snowstorm remember to stock your cupboards with canned food, water and some other food items of vital importance.