Winter is not a good time to do repairs and replacements around your home. A roof repair, for instance, should be reserved for the dry season when it’s safer to climb a roof structure. However, home emergencies can happen anytime, and neglecting it can put you in big trouble.
If you want to avoid a winter home emergency, you have to take the necessary steps to keep your home warm and safe throughout the cold season.
Here is a winter preparation checklist for your home:
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Get your fireplace ready.
Aside from being a dramatic interior design element, fireplaces work as a primary heating source in a home, especially during cold weather. Using a wood-burning fireplace is a great way to heat your indoor space without adding to your home’s energy consumption. However, maintaining your fireplace and chimney is crucial to the overall safety of your home.
According to the National Fire Protection Association, fireplaces or chimneys are involved in a large share of heating fires (32%) and account for one-quarter of direct property damages. You can reduce the risk of fire accidents in your home by scheduling a professional fireplace and chimney cleaning and inspection. Call a reliable contractor to check for loose bricks, cracks, deterioration, or missing mortar on the chimney structure or lining.
Call your plumber to check on different plumbing components.
Frozen and burst pipes are common plumbing problems during winter. Everett plumbing is ready to fix all problems if you’re living in this cold area. When neglected, these plumbing emergencies can cause massive damage to your residential property. Avoid serious winter plumbing issues by scheduling a pre-winter system checkup and maintenance. Remember to focus on applying insulation to pipework that is located outside the home or in unheated spaces. Fall would be the perfect time to call a plumbing company that can help prepare your plumbing system for winter.
Insulate your garage.
There are many benefits to insulating your home garage. If your garage has a door connecting to your main interior, insulating the space becomes necessary since it will keep heated air from flowing outside. Once you allow warm air to escape through holes or gaps around garage doors and windows, your heating equipment will be forced to work harder, resulting in high energy bills. What more? Insulating your garage will protect your car and items in storage from the freezing temperature and makes the space highly usable all year round.
Replace faulty outdoor lighting fixtures.
A malfunctioning home lighting system is bad news during winter. Repairing an outdoor lighting fixture can be dangerous with the extreme temperature outside. However, you can’t just leave your home exterior dark and unsafe during the night. To make sure you won’t be worrying about an equipment breakdown when the cold weather begins, remember to replace old and faulty outdoor bulbs. You can ask for help from your local electrical contractor in installing a new outdoor lighting system that can stand against harsh weather conditions.
Prune your yard trees.
Dead and weak tree branches can fall on your outdoor HVAC equipment and other structures inside your property. When this happens, you will be facing expensive repair or restoration costs. Make sure your yard trees will not be a problem when high winds or storms hit your area; practice regular pruning or trimming of your yard trees. For your own safety, use the service of a licensed and skilled tree contractor.
Check your home’s gutter system.
Checking your gutters for any blockage is very important. Your gutter system can help save your home from water damage by directing water away from the structure. Forgetting to clear away leaves and other dirt debris from your gutter pipes will cause water from melted snow to pool around the foundation.
Connect with a 24/7 snow removal company.
A snow removal job is both difficult and risky. Shoveling snow away from your home pathways and entryways is hard enough. With the addition of a cold temperature, it would be impossible to get the job done on time. There is a professional team that you can trust to handle the snow removal job for you. To make sure you get help during a winter emergency, book the service of your local snow removal company in advance.
Why invest in a new furnace installation
Ensuring that your heating equipment stays in good condition is crucial for your family’s health and safety. A furnace breakdown during winter can put your family in great discomfort and expose them to winter diseases. To protect your family, choose to replace your old and faulty furnace system.
A new furnace installation will not only improve comfort and safety inside your home but also boosts your property’s overall value. Get professional consultations and estimates by talking to a licensed and certified HVAC company. Trusting the service of industry experts will get you only high-quality results. Waste no time and make the move today.
