Five Excellent Tips To Prepare Your House For The Coming Winter
There is an old saying in the construction business,” You
can pay me now or pay me later.” I love to work and make money, but feel
sorry for those people who don't take the time to prepare themselves for
the coming winters, year after year.
As a licensed contractor, I'm the person homeowner’s call to fix
problems that could have been easily prevented with a little bit of
knowledge. Here are five excellent tips to prepare your house for the
coming winter and freezing temperatures.
1. Make sure that your house is properly insulated. Most homes can't
access the areas in between the drywall or plaster on the interior of
the house and the exterior stucco or siding. However, most homeowners
can access areas like their attic and basement. If you can add
insulation, you should. If you can't, you might consider doing a little
remodeling work to add insulation in the future.
2. Make sure that your roofing and gutters aren't damaged and will make
it through another winter. If you're not comfortable climbing up on your
roof, contact a roofing contractor for additional advice. Some roofing
contractors will come to your home for free or charge a small fee for
this type of service.
3. Make sure that your heating systems are operating properly. I don't
recommend homeowners to check their own heating systems for damage. I've
been in the construction business for over 30 years and would rather
hire a professional than do something like this on my own. The last
thing that you're going to need to worry about is your heater, once
temperatures start to drop below freezing.
4. Make sure that your windows and doors are sealed properly. Hinged
doors and sliding doors should be weather proofed to make sure that no
cold air is entering your home from the outside. Cold air can add to
your heating costs and create other problems like mold and mildew as
moisture forms on your doors and window, working its way down eventually
to the flooring, framing and drywall.
5. Make sure that your water pipes drainage system is working properly,
to prevent pipes from bursting, if you live in areas where temperatures
drop below freezing. This won't be as important in areas that maintain
temperatures above 35° on average.
A little common sense can go a long way. If you had problems last year
with parts of your house, try to fix them this year. This will save you
a lot of frustration and grief during your cold winter months.