Winter Ready: 4 Ways to Get Your Home Ready for Winter Weather
Winter is coming, and while the snow and holiday activities are fun and magical, the possible disasters that can strike during the winter months are not. Winterizing your home is extremely important, but how do you go about it? What are the most important aspects to ensuring that you and your family are prepared for the winter months? Below are four ways you can get your home prepared for winter.
Take an Inventory
Take an inventory of your winter gear. If you’re in an area that receives a lot of snowfall, do you have shovels, snow plows, appropriate footwear, and all the gear you’ll need to go out in the snow and be safe? Do you and your family have an adequate supply of winter clothing? Are any mechanical pieces of equipment you use, like the snow blower, in working order? Do you have chains for the car? Make sure that you have all the winter equipment you’ll need for the season, and that everything is in working order. You don’t want to be repairing or running to the store for new appliances in the dead of winter.
Learn From Bears
Bears can teach you a lot about how to get ready for winter, and the first lesson you’re likely to learn is to store up as much food as possible. The last thing you want to do is go to the store when you’re sick, there’s snow to your ears, and a has been hitting your area all day. Don’t forget to utilize the freezer; just about anything can be frozen and then thawed for later use. Have an ice box or freezer chest that doesn’t run on electricity handy if possible; if the electricity goes out, you’ll have a place to store your food until it comes back on. A small solar energy system can also help with this, since it will be able to provide power to your refrigerator and freezer after the power goes out.
Check the Exterior
If the outside of your home is prepared for winter, then winter will remain outside. Forget to check the roof’s condition, clean the gutters, and seal the doors, and you might be in for a miserable and costly winter. Local gutter services in Columbus will be able to make sure that snow and ice does not accumulate in your gutters, which can cause costly leaks and cracks. It is also wise to use on of these services to check the integrity of your roof, since a large amount of snow can cause roofs to cave in.
Go Green
Winter can be brutal on the checkbook, since you have to utilize your utilities so frequently. However, if you take the time to insulate your attic, update your window treatments so they allow as much light in during the day as possible, and invest in EnergyStar appliances, you’ll likely be able to save quite a bit of money during the winter season.
Category: Home Renovation
