The winter months are a time when all you want to do is be indoors by the fire or under a warm blanket. However, the indoors may not be such a comfortable place to be unless you properly care for and maintain your home. What are some tips that can help you enjoy the time spent at home during the cold and snow season?
Make Sure the Furnace and Water Heaters Both Works
The first thing that you want to do is to check that your furnace and your water heater are in good condition. If the furnace is broken, you won’t be able to heat your home, which could lead to it being just as cold inside as it is outside. If the water heater doesn’t work, you won’t be able to enjoy a hot shower or have any warm water to wash dishes with.
Check the Gutters Before It Starts to Snow
Cleaning the gutters before the winter season begins can go a long way toward preventing ice dams. Ice dams form when water freezes along the gutter because it cannot freely flow away from the home. In extreme cases, ice dams can pull gutters off of homes or cause other damage to the roof. When water cannot flow away from the house, it will tend to flow back into the house, which could severely damage shingles or roof decking. It may also flow all the way down to the foundation and cause the house to slide off of it.
Make Sure That You Bring In Hoses Before It Gets Too Cold
In the late fall or early winter, you should drain and bring in any hoses that are in the yard. If you leave them attached, the water could flow back into the home and cause major issues with your home’s pipes. You also want to make sure that interior pipes are drained if the temperatures are going to fall below the freezing mark. Otherwise, the water could cause the pipes to expand, which may lead to a fractured or burst pipe.
Buy Salt and a Shovel
You are responsible for making sure that no one gets hurt when they are on your property. Therefore, if you are having people over for Christmas or are expecting a pizza delivery man to show up to bring you dinner, make sure the sidewalks and driveway are clear. Buying salt and spreading it on concrete or asphalt will help to keep snow and ice from sticking and accumulating. This will reduce the risk that someone gets hurt or reduces your liability if someone does. Therefore, you won’t have to take out a car title loan just to pay someone else’s medical bills.
The winter months can be a challenge whether you rent an apartment or have just bought your first home. However, it is imperative that you maintain and protect your home before the winter begins to make sure that you don’t have to live in a cold home or spend money on serious repairs.
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