Preparing your home for the winter is a proactive step to take towards your and your family’s safety.  There are various ways to prep your home depending on the environment in which you reside.  Nonetheless, we will provide you with some basic tips for most environments during the winter. 

Pipes

To ensure pipes are protected during the winter, you can start by adding insulation to exposed pipes.  Another option would be to add a specialized pipe bag to your outside pipes or to visit your local hardware store to find other options. 

A reason to ensure your pipes are protected during the winter is to avoid the potential of them bursting.  As you may know, once pipes are frozen and then you later attempt to use them, the pressure from running water through frozen pipes may very well cause them to burst!  Lets do all that we can to avoid this problem. 

Gutters

The start of the winter can be a good time to clean your gutters.  Throughout the year, leaves and other debris has had the opportunity to build up in your gutters. 

We recommend having a routine to clean out your gutters, such as at the start if winter.  Creating this routine around this time can potentially assist in avoiding future water damage from ice buildup within the gutters that could eventually seep into your home.

Tree Branches

Before snow and icy weather starts is a good time check and trim your trees.  It is ideal to pay close attention to any trees or branches that are close to your home.  Cutting these branches now will help to avoid any damage caused by fallen trees or branches later. 

Service furnace and Chimney

This is a good time to have your furnace and Chimney serviced and cleaned.  Prior to the season starting and regular use is required, a professional cleaning is a must.  A professional can advise you if a filter is needed for your heating system and perform a vacuuming. 

Seal airways

To lower the amount of cold air entering and conserve energy, check and seal unnecessary airways.  You should check areas such as doorways where you see light entering.  Once you discover these airways, use caulking or weather stripping to seal them. 

Put away lawn care equipment and add outside lighting

In order to prevent damage and minimize the opportunity to have an accident, the start of the winter is a great time to put away lawn equipment and add additional lighting.  We all know that the winter season along with daylight savings time brings shorter days and longer nights.  Furthermore, for most of us, once we get home from work, it is already dark out.  Adding additional lighting will help you to navigate your yard and easily see any guests that may arrive at your door.