We recommend homeowners take the following precautions to help protect your home against winter weather:
Maintain your gutters- Remove leaves and other debris from gutters so melting snow and ice can flow freely.
Trim trees and remove dead branches- Ice, snow and wind can cause weak trees or branches to break, damaging your home, car or injuring someone walking on your property.
Keep your house warm- Keep the temperature in your house at least 65 degrees. The temperature inside the walls where the pipes are located is substantially colder than the walls themselves. If the temperature is lower than 65 degrees it may not keep the pipes from freezing.
Check heating systems- The proper use and maintenance of furnaces, fireplaces and wood-burning stoves can prevent fire and smoke damage. Have furnaces, boilers and chimneys serviced at least once a year before the heating season begins. Make sure that all of the smoke alarms and carbon dioxide detectors are working properly.
Add insulation- Add extra insulation to attics, basements and crawl spaces. Ideally, the attic should be five to ten degrees warmer than the outside air. Well-insulated basements and crawl spaces can help protect the pipes from freezing.
Maintain pipes- Wrap pipes with heating tape. Insulate any unfinished rooms or garages with exposed pipes. Check for cracks and leaks. Have any minor pipe damage fixed immediately.
Maintain steps and handrails- Broken stairs and banisters can become lethal when covered with snow and ice. Make repairs now to prevent someone from falling and seriously being injured.
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