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Living in Indiana, we know that the cold weather usually hits in October and continues to drop through November and December. Each year we expect this change in weather and purposefully prepare ourselves and our families. We dig out the winter wardrobe, locate the winter coats, and turn up the thermostat. However, do you prepare your home for the temperature change as well?
This list will help you prepare your home for the cold winter temperature and inevitable snowstorms while hopefully preventing water damage to your home.
Clean out your gutters and make sure the drains are clear. This one is first because it is very important. Clogged gutters and drains can cause many water issues in and outside your home!
Disconnect your outdoor hoses and, if possible, shut off the water valves. This is necessary because when the hose is connected and water often freezes at the nozzle, cracking the pipe. Then, when warmer weather comes and the ice thaws, water will start to pour into the home and cause damage.
Repair any roof leaks, and remove any dead branches hanging over your house. Snow and ice are heavy and a falling tree branch could cause serious damage to the roof on your home.
Wrap pipes in insulation sleeves. This can prevent pipes from freezing during the harshest parts of the winter months.
Open cabinets so that, in extreme temperatures, the warm air can keep the pipes inside warm. This especially applies to sink cabinets. If this does not seem to be enough, you can keep a slow trickle of water flowing through the faucet. This may especially be necessary if you have a pipe that runs through an area of your home that isn’t heated.
If you go down to Florida or somewhere else during the winter and your house is sitting empty, we highly recommend draining the water from the system. This way you can keep your home at a lower temperature and reduce your heating bill.
If you have a fireplace and aren’t using it, make sure you close the flue as this can suck the heat out of your home and cause high electric bills.
These are just a few of the preparations you can do for winter. However, if you do have any damage because of frozen pipes and water, contact us as quickly as possible! The longer it sits the more damage it will do, especially if it sits until the warmer weather comes and mold begins to grow.