The winter months bring many challenges for your home—both inside and outside. Rain, snow, and windstorms can all wreak havoc on your daily routine and potentially cause unwanted and expensive damage to your home. Therefore, you will want to do all you can to avoid any problems occurring.
When it’s cold and wet outside, you will want to come home to a dry and warm house. A well-built and insulated home should offer excellent protection from the elements. However, there are other steps that you should take to ensure that your home is fully protected. In this post, we will go through a few steps on how to protect your home during cold weather.
Be Prepared for the Winter
During the fall months, it is essential that you ensure that your gutters are clear of leaves and other debris and that there is no damage to the existing system. Once snow or heavy rain comes, your guttering system will be a vital defense against water getting into the house or damaging external surfaces.
You will also want to make sure that any trees close to your home are trimmed and not over-hanging. Trees can take a real battering in heavy winds, and the last thing you want is a tree coming down on your house.
Weatherproof Your Walls
If you live in an area that sees a lot of rain and snow, you will want to make sure that your exterior walls are protected. There are many different types of paint available that offer different levels of protection to the outer surfaces. You will want to aim for a paint that has excellent waterproofing properties and temperature resistance.
Please speak with a painting professional or your local hardware store to see what they recommend for your area and for use on exterior surfaces.
Keep Up to Date with Maintenance
Before the cold weather sets in, you should perform regular inspections to see if there is any maintenance required to exterior walls, roofs, and windows. There may be some signs of wear and tear, which should be taken care of as soon as you notice it. Also, look out for signs of mold, mildew, and wood rot, which indicate that there may be structural deficiencies that need to be dealt with.
Get the Temperature Right
Making sure that your home is correctly insulated and ventilated can make a big difference in the winter months. Well-insulated attics and walls can stop excessive heat from getting into the top of the house. This can be a big problem if there is snow on the roof, as it can potentially lead to ice dams.
In the winter, homeowners want to strike a balance between comfort and affordable energy bills. However, making sure your home is continuously at a comfortable temperature will protect the piping within your home and prevent any unpleasant leaks due to burst or frozen pipes.