5 Way to Prepare For The Winter Freeze
Winter can be rough when you live in a climate that can produce snow, ice, and freezing fog. There are ways to ensure our homes are prepared for these extreme changes in temperature. Use these five tips as a guide before winter officially starts. Leave it too late and you could be waking up with snow and water flooding into your home!
1. Clear Out Your Gutters
Often overlooked during winter, if your gutters are not cleared of all of the excess leaves as well as any other kind of debris they could become clogged and leaky, and might even start gushing cold water.
Another risk is that with the added water and ice the gutters could potentially fall off under the weight.
2. Make Sure Your Windows Are Sealed
When it comes to sealing windows, a good rule of thumb is that if you can fit a couple of dollars through the cracks in the window, it needs to be sealed. If your windows are properly sealed You might be surprised at the effect sealed windows have on the temperature in your house, let alone your heating bills.
Luckily, this task doesn’t take a lot of work. You can easily seal all of your windows in one weekend.
3. Check Your Water Heater
One of the worst things that can befall your home during a freezing winter is a broken water boiler. Your boiler not only heats your entire house, but also provides hot water.
By getting your boiler checked out before winter, you are less likely to encounter a problem that leaves you in the cold. Get it checked out and replace it if necessary.
4. Be Prepared for Snow
Make sure your shovels are easy to access and get some rock salt from your local supplier before it sells out!
You may also want to get some snow removing chemicals; these can instantly melt any snow on your walkway and driveway.
5. Don’t Forget The Car!
Keep your car stocked with winter essentials:
- Non-perishable food
- Plenty of blankets
- Rock salt
- Shovels
You never know when you might get stuck in the snow. Food and blankets will make your wait time more bearable.
Tire chains and de-icer are also good items to keep in the car. The best advice though would be to stay indoors if things are too bad, unless it is an emergency.
These tips should help you have a warm and worry-free winter. But the best advice is prepare early!
