4 Areas of Your Home You Need to Prepare Before Winter

In addition to enjoying all things pumpkin spice, fall makes a great time to make preparations for the upcoming winter weather. One way you can get ready is by preparing your home to ensure it pulls through the harsh winter conditions with flying colors. To help you focus on the most important areas of your home as you make your preparations, here are four suggestions for areas of particular concern.

Gutters

During ever changing winter weather, it’s important that water is able to properly drain away from your home’s foundation. That’s why it’s crucial to prepare your home’s gutters before winter arrives. Fall adds leaves to the gutters that can quickly stop water flow, meaning you need to thoroughly clean your gutters once the trees on your property are bare. Additionally, you’ll want to check the straps that hold the gutters to your home to ensure they are secure so your gutters won’t become loose or fall off during a major weather event.

Air Conditioner

Since your air conditioner’s condenser sits outside, it needs to be properly prepared to handle everything nature might throw at it during the long winter ahead. Begin by cleaning the unit to ensure no leaves or sticks have a chance to cause rust while the unit is not in use. After cleaning the unit, cover it with a waterproof cover to help keep snow and debris from entering the unit until it’s time to use it again in the spring. When it does come time to turn your air conditioner on again, it’s a good idea to use residential air conditioning contractors to ensure it’s ready for action.

Weatherproof Your Home

Leaky windows and doors will waste energy throughout the year. However, the effects of these inefficient components will be especially noticeable during the cold winter months. That’s why it’s important to do all you can to weatherproof your home before the cold weather arrives. Start from the outside, carefully sealing around window and door frames to prevent cold air from entering. Do the same on the inside, utilizing specialized weather barriers that adhere to the interior of your windows if the weatherproofing isn’t enough.

Remove Water

Whether in a lake or in your freezer, frozen water expands. In these contexts, this property of water isn’t a problem. In your home’s pipes or sprinkler heads, however, this is a big problem. Ice can cause pipes to burst and sprinkler heads to crumble, leading to major repairs that can be quite expensive. To prevent these issues, it’s important that you thoroughly drain all outdoor water sources and then turn the water supply off to prevent any further buildup of water throughout the winter.

The cold winter months can be seen as an inconvenience, especially when it’s too cold to get outside and enjoy all the area has to offer. Winter, however, is a great time to enjoy simple pleasures in your home, such as a family movie night or reading that novel you haven’t had time to read. If you embrace winter, it will help make it much more bearable, especially with the knowledge that your home is ready to pass the winter test with flying colors.