Preparing Your Home for Winter
November 7th, 2013Halloween has now come and gone and the fall weather is beginning to reflect winter’s cold. Homeowners who have not yet prepared their homes for winter should look to do so now. As time runs out for winter preparations, homeowners who have put off their home winterization need to begin as soon as possible in order to fully ready their homes for winter’s freezing temperatures and heavy snow falls.
One of the first ways to winterize the home is to clean out the gutters. During the autumn season especially, fallen leaves, twigs, and other debris can clog a home’s gutter system and make water removal from winter rain and snow storms impossible, which can in turn lead to water damage in the home or damage to the roof.
Another winterizing technique that can help a home protect itself from the winter weather is to have snow clips installed on the roof to provide snow retention. Installing snow retention devices will allow for a safer and more efficient snow melt by keeping the snow on your roof where it melts in place rather than sliding off onto people of property.
Roofs without snow retention can be dangerous to the property and to those who live in the home. Without snow retention, large chunks of snow and ice can fall from the roof of the home and cause damage or personal injury.
Another major step to winterizing a home will be to inspect the home’s heating system or furnace for any possible damage as well as for efficiency. Even as fall surely turns to winter, it is not too late to prepare one’s home for the approaching snow and cold through proper home winterization.