Winter preparations are always tedious, especially when it comes to preparing your house. The cold season can be very deadly, which is why you must take proper measures to protect your home from it. And while such preparations require a lot of time and effort, it will feel a lot easier to do so if you follow a simple checklist.
So, to get you started with your winter preparations, here are six things you should consider in your checklist while preparing your house for the winter.
#1 Check the Roof First
Why not start from the top if you are going to do a full inspection of your house? Your roof is the most exposed part of your house. Be it sun or snow, the roof has to deal with it all head-on. Hence, you should start your winter preparations from there.
First, check the roof for cracks. It is possible that it does not have any sort of cracks on its surface. However, you should go ahead and check it anyway, just to be safe. If you do find cracks, you should seal them accordingly. Secondly, get rid of dry leaves that may be present on your roof. They hold moisture and can make the roof damp. As a result of this, your house will feel colder than it needs to be. Finally, clear out all the drains on the roof. Keep them dry and free of leaves.
#2 Look for Cracks on Walls and Windows
It is unlikely that you are going to find any damaging cracks on your roof. However, you are sure to find a few on your walls and windows if you look carefully.
Cracks are uncommon in concrete walls. However, walls made of wood or anything else but concrete can easily develop cracks for several reasons. Besides, cracks can also form on windows, window panes, and doors. These areas can develop cracks easily too.
Such cracks or fissures will let the warmth escape and allow the cold winter air to enter the house. Hence, you will feel very cold even with all the preparations. So, it is vital to take note of these cracks and get them fixed accordingly.
#3 Check Your Heating Systems
Start by checking your primary heating system or heat source during the winter, which is the fireplace. Give it a thorough cleaning, especially around the chimney area.
Next, check your boiler. It is something that can easily go bad if not maintained properly. So if you have not used it in a while or the boiler is not giving you the desired efficiency, you should contact a maintenance team for boiler repairs. Since it is a complicated piece of hardware, you will be better off hiring professional technicians than trying to fix it yourself.
You should also consider gathering enough firewood that will last you a month or so. That is if you are completely locked inside your house after a snowstorm.
#4 Drain Outdoor Faucets and Sprinklers
Drain out the water from your sprinklers and outdoor faucets. They will not affect the heat inside the house, but there is a good reason to do so.
During winter, water inside these closed pipes and vessels tend to freeze up. As a result, they expand in volume and take up a more rigid shape and structure. And when this happens, the water, now ice, will exert pressure on your pipes. Not being able to withstand this sudden increase in pressure, the pipes will crack.
Hence, it is always a good idea to close sprinklers and outdoor faucets before winter. Also, before closing them, do drain out all the water inside them.
#5 Dealing with the Snow
Dealing with the snow is probably the most frustrating part of winter. And while a bit of snow can be enjoyable without causing any harm, a sudden snowstorm can lock you inside your house for days. Thus, for full-scale winter preparation, you need to get your home ready for the snowfall as well.
Preparation starts with buying the right tools. Shovels are must-have equipment for this purpose. You could also get a snowblower if you can spend a bit more money. You might also want to get an ice scraper for getting rid of ice on your glass and window panes.
So before you begin preparations for winter, keep these points in mind. That will make it a lot easier for you to get your house ready for the winter season.