Preparing Your Home For Winter

Preparing Your Home For Winter

Image by: Hamilton Building Services © 2019

As winter looms over the horizon, throwing the occasional snow in our direction, it's important to make sure you and your home are prepared for it. Today we'll talk about how to winterize your home to ensure a comfortable season.

      Winter in the past years has been no joke. With more and more snow pouring down over us, and sub-zero temperatures, it's important that your home is prepared for it. Let's start with the most important parts of winterization.

      Double checking the attic space for leaks that need to be addressed before too much snow piles atop, and causes issues in the spring. Having several feet of snow on top of your roof when it begins to melt can be a big issue if you have leaks in the roof. Taking care of those leaks prior to the snowfall will ensure that there are no headaches in the fall and that there are no costly repairs so early in the year. Similarly, be sure to clean out the gutters before the wet leaves freeze and make a mess or cause damage.

      If your home is on piers or blocks, this would be a great time to double check that the exposed pipes below are insulated. Nothing is worse than having no water in the middle of winter because your pipes have frozen. Proper insulation around these pipes and adding covering any open crawlspace will ensure that the space around these vital water pipes stays above freezing, despite the frigid temperatures outside.

     If you are in an older home, it always a good idea to install weather strips across door bottoms and plastic insulation wrap for leaky doors and windows. This will drastically cut down on the draft through the house and leave the house warm through the winter months.

     Depending one what type of heating system you use for your home, it's always smart to have someone do an inspection to be sure it will last through the winter and not cause any issues. If you have a wood stove, or wood pellet stove, be sure to inspect chimneys. While you're doing that, you might as well check all of the smoke and CO detectors to make sure they're all working properly.

     It also doesn't hurt to prepare for large snowfall emergencies. It's happened before, where there's travel advisories, where you can't leave to go to the store, so make sure you have stored nonperishable food and bottled water and alternate heat and light sources. You never know what can happen with four feet of snow outside.

     Or, if you're tired of winterizing your 60+ year old house every year and constantly making costly repairs every spring, give us a call. Hamilton Building Services specializes in new home construction. Building hundred of homes in Central New York, we know all about making homes that last the seasons. With proper insulation and brand new roof, you can reduce the amount you have to do by not having a dilapidated house to drag you down every winter. Energy efficient windows and doors will make your home sealed tight. Call us today!

(607) 299 - 4838 | marketing@hamiltonbuildingservices.com