Winter can be a harsh season, especially if you live in an already hostile environment at the best of times. Rain, high wind, and heavy snow can all cause problems for both your home’s interior and exterior. To help make sure that your house can survive the elements and keep the occupants safe and cozy on the inside, here are some ways in which you can prepare your residential home for the winter months.
Clear The Gutters
Gutters become an essential component of the home during winter months, so it’s important that you make sure they’re ready to handle the barrage of rainwater and melted snow and ice that’s set to come its way. The first step you want to take is clean out your gutters and make sure they’re free from debris such as sticks, leaves, and other gunk that can block water. Doing this can help prevent ice damming, which is when water is unable to drain properly and instead seeps into the house, causing water to drip and leak through walls and ceilings.
It’s also a good idea to install gutter guards as this can prevent debris from entering the gutter in the first place, making sure it’s clear all winter long.
Check On The Roof
Before you head into winter you want to make sure your roof is in perfect condition. This means that you should replace any cracked shingles or tiles and patch up any torn pieces of insulation, as faults in these could allow water into the home as well as wind, which can make the interior a lot chillier.
It’s also a good idea to add extra insulation into attics, basements, and crawl spaces as this can help keep the heat in. This is important, as not only does it keep the inhabitants toasty warm, but it prevents the hot air from escaping and start melting any ice or snow on your roof, which can easily refreeze and cause even greater ice build up on your home.
Ensure The Siding Is Good
The siding materials of your house is what helps protect the rest of your building from rain, snow, wind, or hail, so it’s important to make sure that it’s in good condition before you go into the winter months. There are a lot of options on what materials you can use to make your siding, such as wood, vinyl, aluminum, and even fiber cement. Whatever material you use, you want to make sure it best suits your home and environment, so if you’re not sure you can contact experts who can evaluate your siding or offer a siding replacement to prepare your house in the best way possible before winter hits.
Trim Your Trees
If your property has trees on it, it’s important to make sure they are capable of withstanding the winter. To do this, trim your trees so that they’re not massively overgrown, and be sure to remove dead branches, as these are super-weak and can easily be broken by strong winds or ice and snow. You certainly don’t want parts of your trees to break and crash into your property, causing huge damage, expenses, and even injury.
