Many times we worry about how to prepare our home for winter. However, that shouldn’t be a problem. There are a number of simple ways we can take to help prepare our home for this season.
We made a list of some of these simple steps that we can do during our spare time or on the weekends. Here they are:
Clean Your Gutters
Gutters should be cleaned every season, but before winter is the most important time to get them cleaned. Not only can our gutters be pulled from our home when it gets too heavy from the snow, but it could also cause water damage to our home as the water from the melted ice has nowhere to go.
Recaulk Your Windows And Doors
We should caulk the outside perimeter of our windows and doors’ molding to prevent water damage and heat loss. Doing this is inexpensive and can be completed in a few hours only.
Inspect The Roof
Winter storms, heavy rain, hale, and especially packed snow can do a lot of damage to a home’s roof. Having a professional come over to check on the roof and make the necessary repairs before winter comes would be a wise decision.
Reverse Your Ceiling Fans
Warm air rises, so reversing the direction of fans will create an updraft, which will push down any heated air pressed against a room’s ceiling. By circulating warm air, heat will be used more efficiently, which could cut energy costs.
Inspect The Chimney
Burning wood can cause a buildup of creosote deposits inside the chimney. Creosote is cancerous and highly flammable. When enough of it builds up in your chimney, the smoke from a fire can cause it to ignite, which can cause a chimney fire. Having your chimney inspected can help keep your family and home safe from fire risk. It would be best to consider installing a steel liner, which will help protect your home in the event of a chimney fire.
Clean And Tune Up Your Home’s Systems
The furnace, whether gas or electric, could run more efficiently in the winter months if a technician comes to clean and tune it up. The winter season is also a good time to change the batteries of the smoke detector and the carbon monoxide detector.
Cut Back Tree Branches
Tree branches are at risk of breaking under the heavy weight of snow. Cutting back branches that overhang the home can prevent roof damage if a branch breaks.
Check Insurance Coverage
Review the insurance policy to make sure that the home is covered for different kinds of losses or damages. It is a smart choice to do this before winter comes along.
***FUN FACT ***
Brooklyn is larger, both in terms of land area and population, than Manhattan. The second most densely populated county in the United States (after Manhattan), Brooklyn had 2,621,793 residents to Manhattan’s 1,636,268 in 2014. Brooklyn has 71 square miles of land. Manhattan has 23. If it were its own city, Brooklyn would be the fourth largest in the United States.
