Top 5 Tips for Winterizing Your Home
As the seasons change from fall to winter, you should be thinking about how to prepare your home for freezing temperatures, ice and snow. There are a number of things you can do to winterize your home. Here are five of the top ways.
Seal up Cracks and Gaps
One of the biggest enemies to heating efficiency during the winter is cracks and gaps that let in cold air. By sealing these up, you can save a considerable amount on your heating bill. Start by examining your windows and doors and use weather stripping or caulk to fill in any openings. Other places to examine are around your chimney and fireplace and around places where wires and cables come into your home.
Protect Your Pipes
One of the worst winter disasters is to have pipes freeze and then burst, which can flood your home. To prevent this, there are a number of things to do. For one thing, you need to shut off outdoor water sources, such as spigots and your sprinkler system. You also need to make sure all the water is out of your sprinkler system and disconnect any garden hoses. Inside, you need to add insulation to pipes, especially those in attics, basements and exterior walls.
Clean Your Gutter
Your gutters might not seem like a priority in winter, but leaving them full of leaves and debris could lead to disaster. When snow and ice on your roof melts, it goes into your gutters. If they are clogged, the water can back up and refreeze, leading to an ice dam, which can cause additional melt water to flow under your roof and into your home. To prevent these ice dams, you need to make sure your gutters are clear.
Check Your Chimney
If you have a fireplace and plan to use it, you need to check your chimney. You need to make sure it is clean and free of soot and debris. You also want to be sure that no animals have decided to make it their home. A blocked chimney could lead to a fire.
Trim Trees
If you have any tree branches overhanging your home, especially ones that look dead, you should cut them down before snow starts to fall. Heavy snow can lead branches to fall, which could cause damage to your roof.
Winter is nearly here! To get the best advice on winterizing your Fort Lauderdale home, call C&D Plumbing Inc. at (954) 758-8169 today.