10 Ways To Winter-proof Your Place

By Author: Anna Wolkom
Total Articles: 1
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The beginning of 2014 was marked by extreme, freezing cold in the United States and Canada. On January 2, 2014, the phenomenon that became widely known as the polar vortex spread all over North America, even extending southward to Southern America. Many states in the US declared a state of emergency as snow reached several feet high, ice coated highways, and frost made breathing difficult when you were outdoors—even causing death.

In cities that weren’t used to long periods of cold and snow, many houses were sadly unequipped to withstand the effects of winter. Frozen pipes, doors that are frozen shut and cold interiors were some of the most common problems. That cold period emphasized the importance of preparing ourselves and our homes for the extremes in winter.

Here are some tips on how you can make your home ready to face winter.

1.Make sure your central heating system is in good condition. During the thick of winter, it will be on 24/7. Don’t wait for the snow to fall before checking out the heater so that if ever it needs to be repaired, you won’t be freezing for a day or two.

2.Check ...
... your pipes for leaks and have them repaired immediately. Leaks can be the starting point for ice to form and freeze inside your pipes.

3.It is highly recommended that you install an emergency pressure release valve for your pipes. If they get frozen, the pressure inside can cause the pipes to burst. That’ll be an even bigger problem.

4.Make sure you know where all the stop taps are located. When pipes get frozen, you need to turn off the water supply as soon as possible.

5.Clean out your gutters and install gutter guards for added measure.

6.If your roof is made from shingles or any other material with panels or pieces that might fall off, double-check that nothing is loose. The roof needs to be sturdy and solid to prevent water and frost from seeping through to the attic or ceilings.

7.Also check your walls from outside in. See if there are holes or cracks that will need covering up.

8.Install insulating materials in your attic, the basement, crawl spaces, and other areas in the house where heat from the inside seems to be escaping. Not only do you need to keep the inside warm, but heat escaping from the roof, for example, will melt snow. Since the temperature outside is below zero, that pool of water will turn to ice. This is dangerous on the roof because instead of the snow falling to the ground, you’ll have solid ice putting weight on your roof, which might lead to a collapse.

9.If there are trees and aged branches growing over your house, it might be best to cut those branches down. You don’t want them striking your house should the wind pick up, or fall through your roof if it breaks due to frost.

10.Make sure your fire and smoke alarms are working. You should know that residential fires happen a lot during winter because people do what they can to stay warm.