It is that season of the year again when everything is snowy and fresh. The air is filled with a sense of joy during the winter. Of course, Christmas and the start of a new year make everything look bright and hopeful again. Winter is also time to stay at home and enjoy family time sitting in front of the fireplace. Those who are aware of the devastating effects of the continuous snowfall discern how to take precautions to protect the house during this chilling season. Continue reading this article to know more about the steps you need to take to protect your residence.
Clean up the pipes: After the last leaf is shed in fall, it is time to do some much-needed clean up around the house. The gutters are filled with dead leaves and so much more. If you do not clean the things up the water and the snow will cause heavy damage to your outer structure. The draining system would eventually collapse, and water will seep through into the inside décor of the house.
- Pick a day and make it a project to clean the gutters. If you do not have the time to do the household works all by yourself, consider hiring help for the same.
- While you are at it, trim down the dead branches of the tree as well. If the dead branches take too much load of snow, they are sure to collapse all of a sudden. These broken branches may cause damage to the roof of the house.
Check up on the heating system: You don’t want to experience your central heating system broken down all of a sudden on a chilly December night. That is why thorough monitoring is essential to control such devices. Heating systems usually last for more than a decade, if maintained properly.
- Check the system to see if everything is in working order. Change the filters if need be.
- Hire an electrician to inspect your heating and A/C system. Make sure the instruments are performing best to their capacity. At times outside air affecting your A/C may lead to the poor performance of the appliances.
Home exterior: The snow affects the outside of the home a great deal. The exterior wood can only sustain such high damage if it is sealed properly. Various wooden sealers are available online and in the supermarket. Again, to do all these tedious jobs, hire an expert and let him call all the shots.
- Fix the roof if it needs fixing. Protect the outside walls with a fresh coat of paints and apply solutions that made the wood water resilient. If the wood is painted every year and look after well, it will gain a long-lasting life without rotting.
- The open spaces like a front veranda and patio area are to be sealed properly. If temporary arrangements can be done so that the area is covered from outside without letting the snow come in at the first place that would be best.
It is precisely the time to clean out that old fireplace and getting it ready to stack some firewood inside. Order firewood and store them safely for the cold long nights. Make sure you have trimmed the grasses of the lawn for the last time this year before the snow arrives. Make a list of things to be done and do it one by one, so that when winter comes, you are more than ready to battle the harshness of the season.
