Why wait for the first extremely chilly day of winter to determine if everything is in good shape? Why let winter weather wreak havoc on your home and leave you out in the dark? Well, while the snowfall may look quite impressive, those freezing temperatures can bring devastating impacts on your home, leaving you with costly home repairs to deal with. It is much better to realize a problem when the temperatures are favorable than to identify one on a frigid winter day. Unless you prepare adequately before the winter chills take hold, you may suffer real damage from cold weather, ice, and snow. Below are some of the essential tasks to have your house ready for the winter season.
1. Check Your Home’s Heating and Air Conditioning System
Winter months are associated with more deaths compared to other non-winter months. The surge in fatalities is a result of increased exposure to respiratory diseases. To avoid this, it is imperative to have your HVAC system examined to ensure your heating system is functioning. For about $70 to $100, Summit Heating & A/C will inspect your furnace to ensure it is clean, in good shape, and can perform efficiently as designed by the manufacturer. Also, let them have a comprehensive check of all filters and inspect whether there is a risk potential of electrical connection and wiring problems. The inspection also incorporates measuring carbon-monoxide leakage in order to avoid malfunctions during the cold seasons. These services will ensure your HVAC is working efficiently and, as a result, keep your home and family cozy during the entire winter season.
2. Check the Roof
Winter can cause damage to your home in general, but usually, your roof experiences an immense impact than any part of your house. So, have you ever wondered how winter weather affects your roof? Well, you don’t have to await the arrival of the winter season to experience the potentially devastating effects of winter weather. Numerous things affect your roof, including ice damming, attic condensation, wind damage, snow, ice, and water stress. For instance, wind storms are more massive during the winter months than any other month. If your roofs are not strong enough, windstorms can cause shingles to be torn off, loosened, or broken off. The winter snow can build up to several feet thick, overpowering the weight-bearing capacity of your roof. This can result in cracks above your windows, doors and extreme cases can lead to roof collapse.
On the other hand, when snow, ice, and water come together, they can destroy your roofing and penetrate your house. Therefore, it is crucial to do a thorough roof inspection to ensure you don’t have faulty roofs after the first snow hits. You can check the following; missing or torn roofs, broken and worn rubber boots around vent pipes, shingles that are deformed, twining or blistering, broken caulk, or rust spots on flashing. It is essential to consult a professional roof inspector to have a considerable roof inspection.
3. Insulate Windows
Winter weather can put a strain on your energy bill and deny you the cozy vibe that you desire inside your home, especially if your windows have any air leaks. Cold air can leak in the house through the windowsills. Windows can also permit heat loss via the frames, the seams, and also gazing. Also, it can find its way to the house via the windows, which can make the indoor air cooler. To curb the issue, it is imperative to insulate the windows before cold weather sets in. Insulating your windows is a way of making sure there are no cracks or leaks that allow cold draughts or let the inside heat out. An insulating window film fixed on the window enables the window to conserve more than 55% of heat in winter.
4. Clean Gutters and Downspouts
Harsh winter weather leads to the accumulation of ice, which can wreak havoc on your gutters. As a homeowner, you may underrate slight clogging of a gutter, but you may not understand the impact it might cause on your home. Clogged gutters can cause disastrous effects on your entire home as they block water diversion from your home. When the water is unable to divert appropriately, it tends to accumulate, spilling over the side of gutters. This, in turn, can lead to massive destruction such as foundation damage, structural problems, mold and mildew, water penetration in the basement, and other exterior deterioration, which are costly to fix. Therefore, once you realize clogging on your gutters, it is time to clean them to get rid of leaves, twigs, and gunk. Also, ensure your gutters are in the right shape, fasten gutter hangers and downspout brackets and change all worn or damaged materials.
5. Check Your Plumbing
Ice cubes are common during winter weather. However, caution should be taken to prevent the formation of ice in your plumbing. To take care of your plumbing, ensure the outdoor facets are switched off at their shutoff valves, disconnect all hoses to prevent breaking of pipes as a result of an accumulation of ice in pipes, and cover hose bibs. Another option for plumbing is installing a heat cable. Heat cables are an ideal remedy for susceptible pipes. They have an essential thermostat that detects pipe temperature, regulating the heat to prevent freezing in the pipes.
6. Check Your Fireplace
It is essential to do a thorough visual inspection of your fireplace to ensure it is in good shape. When doing an outdoor review, ensure the chimney cap is available and in the proper condition. Clear out bird best or debris piled up on the cap, eliminate all tree limbs directly above the chimney, Ensure the mortar and bricks located on the chimney are not broken or unavailable, and finally raise the chimney some inches higher from its usual position. On the inside, ensure the flue damper can close and open without obstruction, and the flue is not blocked by either combustible materials or other foreign objects.
Contact the Professionals
Homes deteriorate quickly if not they’re well taken care of. Therefore, it is imperative to take the time to protect your investment. Start planning for your home maintenance as well as getting ready for the winter weather. Take a quick inventory of the things that can get destroyed and implement some protective measures to safeguard them. Also, consider the items that you will need, and make sure you bring them on board.
If you are in Denver and the surrounding areas and are looking for a reliable company to help you prepare your home for winter, contact Summit Heating & A/C. With over 20 years of serving the natives at Denver, our services are top-notch with a 100% guarantee. We offer heating and cooling services as well as plumbing services. We also help with air purification and indoor air quality.
