Here are a few tips on how to prepare your home for the winter!
Seal & Ventilate:
- Insulate walls and attics, and caulk and weather-strip doors and windows.
- If you have a fireplace, keep the flue closed when you’re not using it.
- Make sure your furniture isn’t blocking your home’s heating vents.
- During cold spells, keep cabinet doors open to allow warm air to circulate around pipes, particularly those in the kitchen and bathrooms.
Happy Roof, Dry House:
- Clean out the gutters. It is also a good idea to add extensions to the downspout outlet to keep water away from the foundation of your home and make sure your yard drainage is working.
- Repair roof leaks and remove tree branches that could get weighed down with ice or snow and fall on your house – or your neighbors (avoid liability for the latter).
Protect Your Pipes:
- Wrap water pipes in your basement or crawl spaces with insulation sleeves to slow heat transfer.
- Consider an insulated blanket for your hot water heater.
- Drain your irrigation system if you have one, and shut off outdoor water valves if possible. Don’t forget to disconnect and roll up your hoses.
Avoid Ice Dams:
Avoid ice dams – where water from melted snow refreezes in the gutters and seeps in under the roof, soaking interior walls.
Here’s How:
- Ventilate your attic.
- Insulate the attic floor well to minimize the amount of heat rising through the attic from within the house.
- Consider having a water-repellent membrane installed under your roof covering.
How can we be a resource for you?
Call: 425-502-5397
Email: info@pickettstreet.com