Whether it’s heavy snowfalls, frigid temperatures, or damaging ice storms, winters in Indiana can be challenging.
As homeowners, if we want to best Old Man Winter for another year we need to start preparing now. Taking the time to winterize your home can save you a lot of headaches and give you the peace of mind that you’re doing everything you can to prevent unexpected and costly damage.
Let’s look at what you can do inside and outside your home to protect yourself from winter storm damage this season.
EXTERIOR WINTERIZATION
The outside of your home is going to take the brunt of winter storm damage. From your roof to your windows and your plumbing, there’s no shortage of things to prepare the exterior of your home. Here’s a close look at some of the essential things to get your home winterized.
Inspecting Your Roof and Gutters
Your roof and your gutters do a lot of heavy lifting to protect your home all year long. The winter season can be particularly damaging to these critical parts of your house, so it’s important to make sure that they’re up for the task!
“The most important thing a homeowner can do this time of year is to get a roof inspection done. Call a local professional and have them look for things like damaged shingles,” says Jonathan Brunner, a construction manager for Paul Davis of Northeast Indiana. “It’s also a good idea that if you have an older roof to have them check the decking underneath. The roofing material may be old and if it flexes a lot then it’s lost its rigidity and it won’t be able to handle the weight of a lot of snow.”
We can have a lot of leaves fall during this time of year, so make sure to take the time to inspect your gutters and make sure they’re not blocked by debris. You may need to do this more than once!
Clogged gutters increase the likelihood of an ice dam (when the snow and ice on the top of the gutter stays frozen, but the bottom is thawed), which leads to water infiltration in your attic and your walls.
“The most frustrating thing about ice dams is that there’s no apparent damage besides the water getting up under your roof. Any area where that pocket of water can collect from the heat escaping through your attic space or your roof can create that pocket of water stuck underneath,” Brunner says. “The most dangerous thing is that you don’t notice it. With the heat in your home, it can create the right conditions for microbial growth in your attic space or your drywall.”
Sealing Your Doors and Windows
While you may not be opening your windows a lot during the winter, they — along with your doors — are a huge factor in heat escaping your home. Take the time to inspect and update your weather stripping and caulking around all your windows and doors to help keep your valuable heat inside, where it belongs!
Draining Your Plumbing
If you have an underground sprinkling system in your yard, now is a good time to get the lines flushed and blown out before winter. If you’re unable to blow out your lines on your own, many professional landscaping companies can help.
Now is also the time to remove and put away any hoses you have that are attached to an exterior spigot. When hoses are left attached they can prevent water from draining out of the spigot, which can lead to frozen pipes that can burst.
Trimming Trees
Trees overhanging your home are a huge hazard during the winter. Heavy snow and ice can weigh down limbs and cause them to snap and fall on your home. Take a walk around your house and look for any dead, dying, or potentially hazardous limbs hanging over your home. If you’re unable to safely remove the limbs on your own, a professional tree trimmer can help.
INTERIOR WINTERIZATION
As important as exterior winterization is, focusing on preparing the inside of your home for a winter storm is just as important.
Heating systems can malfunction, freezing temperatures can lead to frozen pipes, and the risk of fires increases. All of these issues are preventable with the right, proactive steps!
Service Your Heating System
Before the chill of winter sets in it’s smart to have a professional come in and inspect and test your heating system.
Your heating system likely hasn’t been run in at least six months and, if it’s an older system, there’s a chance that a part has failed and you may not even know it.
HVAC professionals can test your system, look for trouble codes, and make sure that everything is functioning how it’s supposed to. Don’t wait until your heating system fails when it’s below zero outside!
Insulate Your Pipes
It seems like every year there’s a news report in the dead of winter warning us about the risk of freezing pipes. When protecting your pipes, the first thing you want to do is identify which are at the highest risk — those on an exterior wall.
“If you have exposed piping, especially if it’s close to a basement window or an unfinished space in a basement — get those pipes insulated,” Brunner says. “You can get products specifically for wrapping pipes, but I’ve even seen people cut pool noodles in half and make that work.”
Foam insulation on your pipes is a simple and cost-effective way to protect your home. As a bonus, insulating your pipes can help you save money year-round by helping them work more efficiently and reducing stress on your water heater.
While you’re checking and insulating your pipes it’s a good idea to test your sump pump and make sure that it’s working properly. Simply dump water into your pit until you hear the pump activate. Sump pumps are critical in the spring, but the last thing you want is to have a pipe burst and cause flooding and have your sump pump fail at the same time!
Stay Fire Safe
Winter storm season is also fire season. With the colder temperatures, people are often more reliant on supplementary heat sources like oil heaters and electric space heaters. Remember to never leave a space heater in a room unattended, and never plug it into a power strip (always plug it directly into the wall).
Going into winter it’s also a good idea to check your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detector and replace the batteries. Both devices save lives, so it’s critical to make sure that they are functioning properly.
No matter how well you prepare, winter storms can still cause damage to our homes. If you do experience damage, it’s a good idea to have it looked at as quickly as possible.
“If you notice damage from a storm, call us at Paul Davis right away,” Brunner says. “Because sometimes secondary damage, like mold growth or rot, can be worse than the primary damage.”
Do you need help cleaning up after a winter storm? The Difference Makers at Paul Davis of Northeast Indiana are ready to help 24/7. Call us today at 260-436-7510 to speak with a restoration specialist.