It is time to prepare your home, inside and out, for the cold weather. With this, it is important to know how to prepare for the snow. Inspect windows and doors to ensure they are snug. Cover the openings with plastic or Styrofoam boards if needed. Ensure exhaust fans are in good condition and remove window AC units before the deep chill sets in.
Clean your roof of any debris or leaves that could easily be swept away by a gust of wind with the help of a roofer. Check weather forecasts often, particularly if you live where heavy snowfall can help plan activities and avoid surprises. You can also sign up for text alerts from local news sources and the National Weather Service’s hazardous weather email system. These are just a few tips on how to prepare for the snow.
There are several ways to prepare your home for snow. It is vital to apply these ways to enhance safety and comfort during the cold season. Below are seven ways on how to prepare for the snow:
Clear Out Gutters
When looking for how to prepare for snow, gutters and roof repair services are important elements. It can be tempting to let your gutters go until spring, but overflowing or clogged gutters can cause problems. Water that overflows the edge of your roof is an open invitation for icicles. If you do not want to clean out your gutters yourself, hire a professional roofer.
Check gutters for sharp branches before removing ice dams. Ice dams are formed when snow blocks over your roof melt over time and then refreeze into big ice sheets due to cold air or wind coming from below. When the melted water freezes again on top of the sheet of ice, it creates icicles that can damage your gutters or even cause a roof to collapse.
Unless you are a roofing expert, it is best to remove icicles from above whenever possible. Use a broom, an ax, or a long pole with a wire loop hooked on the end, anything that will safely remove the ice without damaging your home or putting you in danger.
A different kind of bad weather, a winter storm, causes damage to your lawn and garden in a few ways. When the snow melts into water that evaporates, it will leave salt behind on leaves and branches that can burn them. The storm can also break or bend branches with enough weight. And animals like squirrels may move around more often during heavy snowfall, causing damage to trees as they climb up and down.
Use Heaters to Keep Warm
Since we do not rely on burning wood for heat these days, we have several other options to prepare for the snow. When it comes to staying warm during wintertime, one option homeowners have is radiant heating. This is just using elements in your walls and floors like electrical wiring and steel coils that send out warmth into the air around them, with the help of professional home electrical services. Kerosene space heaters are another option to keep your home warm and cozy.
Think about using space heaters as one of the best tips on how to prepare for the snow. Space heaters come in different sizes and styles, so use common sense when using them. Avoid positioning them close to anything combustible such as curtains, furniture, and bedding. Fire safety experts recommend placing space heaters at least three feet from anything that can burn.
Be safe with fireplaces and barbecues. Make sure your fireplace is in good working order before you use it again. Before starting a gas grill, check the propane level. Never use a charcoal or wood-burning barbecue inside a home or garage.
Keep your water heater warm by wrapping it in an insulating blanket made especially for this purpose. This will help prevent any damage due to condensation freeze-up. Put insulation over your heater during the next water heater repair service.
Repair cracks in the foundation, exterior, and interior parts of the house. Repair any foundation cracks along the outside of your home before they become an issue this winter with Exterior Foundation Sealant. This sealant will create a waterproof shield around your foundation walls, helping keep moisture out, so you stay warm inside!
Patch any exterior foundation cracks or crevices before falling leaves, and falling temperatures create a moisture problem that will only worsen once winter arrives. The foundation sealer creates watertight protection around your foundation while allowing moisture to escape, so it is always best to seal up those holes before icy winds snowstorms occur!
Cracks on the exterior of a house are always bad news because harsh winter elements like snowstorms and ice create pressure against those walls that can cause them to spread or even collapse. Always make sure to patch up those outside cracks before they become issues this winter.
Having cracks along your foundation is never a good thing, as those cracks will only expand as the weather gets colder and can allow moisture through-which can lead to interior mold growth. The foundation sealant does a great job of filling in these gaps around your foundation wall, making them waterproof, and stopping any chance of mold from growing.
Winterize Your Garden
Another tip on how to prepare for the snow is winterizing your garden. This is especially important in cold climates, as many plants can die after being hit with a freeze. Cover outdoor potted plants with plastic sheeting secured with stakes. Put soil or sand around staked trees and shrubs to prevent damage due to wind chill. Keep walks and driveways free of salt, sand, or other deicers to prevent plants from being damaged.
Winterize your home’s well system by draining the pipes and ensuring no cracks in hoses or equipment that might allow water to escape. It would help to place a trickle charger on all unmetered pumps, maintaining power over an extended period.
Trim back trees and bushes for better visibility. When snow falls, trim back any tree branches that may hang over your house or sidewalk. This will make it easier to remove the snow when it comes without fear of hitting low-hanging limbs during shoveling. Remember to use pool covers on your swimming area to avoid contaminating your swimming pool. No one wants to incur the cost of pool repair services that can be avoided. Do not forget to seek pest services to keep your plants free from pest infestation.
Remember to take safety precautions like wearing heavy gloves and goggles and checking for power lines that may be down. If you need to clear out a lot of snow from your yard, make sure to avoid burning it as this will cause pollution.
While this list on preparing for the snow does not cover every winter safety measure needed in any other state, following these tips can help prevent damage or injury, especially with local news alerts.
Check Insulation
When seeking ideas on how to prepare for the snow, make sure your insulation is not falling off the rafters or breaking down! If they are, ensure you seek residential heating repair. This will keep your home warm while keeping your energy bills reasonable. If you live in a cold climate, chances are you are prepping your home to stay warm this winter with insulation support and by clearing out your gutters. These are important tasks, but there are some other things you may be overlooking that can also help improve the efficiency of your home this winter!
Make sure heat is spreading throughout each room. If the insulation on the rafters is not staying put or feels flimsy, get yourself some insulation support spray to get it back in place! This spray allows you to apply insulation on any surface while also allowing it to dry rock hard, so there is no chance of bunching or sagging.
Replacing just one layer of standard fiberglass can cut down on your furnace use! Plus, if you are looking for an alternative source of wall insulation, this is a great place to start. Once your insulation is not loose anymore, ensure all the heat coming out of your furnace is making its way throughout each room with a reflective radiant barrier. It creates a radiant barrier that reflects heat into the home before it escapes.
Using radiant floor heating would be an amazing feature in any home because there are so many benefits. When looking at ways to prepare for the snow, this type of heat warms up people and objects rather than the air around them, making them very comfortable and energy-efficient. It is also nice that this form of heat is not affected by cold outdoor temperatures or drafts that make the home colder. Radiant floor heating can improve health by keeping humidity levels low while preventing chronically dry air, which helps with conditions like asthma and respiratory problems.
Check Weather Stripping
If you have old weather stripping around doors or windows, look to see if it is still doing its job. If not, consider replacing it with energy-efficient weather stripping. It can reduce the drafts in your homes. You stay warmer for less! This is one of the important tips on how to prepare for the snow.
Weatherstripping is an easy thing that can be done in just minutes, but it usually gets overlooked. Weatherstripping protects against drafts and air leaks between outside and inside walls-saving you money on heating costs by sealing out the wind!
If the weather stripping around your doors and windows is not doing its job anymore, consider energy-efficient weather stripping. Replacing just one layer of standard fiberglass can cut down on drafts in your home by up to 25%! Your weather stripping may not look like something you need to replace, but checking it now can save you major energy costs during the winter!
Keep an Emergency Kit in Your Vehicle and Home
Another way to prepare for the snow is to have an emergency kit. Pack items such as dry food that does not require cooking, water for each person in the vehicle to prevent dehydration, first-aid supplies that include tweezers necessary to remove those pesky snow and ice balls from your hair, a flashlight, extra warm clothing, a map of the area and nonperishable snacks.
If possible, stay home when bad weather strikes. It is dangerous to go out in severe conditions. If you must leave your house during a winter storm, take an alternate route instead of traveling on main roads where plows are sure to scrape up extra snow.
Check your vehicle’s antifreeze. Keep the fluid level in your car’s radiator high enough to prevent it from freezing. Do not forget to check washer fluid as well. Refill if needed. The emergency kits should be light enough to carry easily and sturdy enough to withstand a few bumps. Keeping one in each vehicle as well is an important way of how to prepare for the snow.
Including a gallon of water per person for three days; gallon-sized plastic bags or containers to use as portable toilets; canned or dried food that will not spoil, such as fruit, crackers, and granola bars; bottled water; first-aid supplies of aspirin or other pain reliever, antacids, bandages, and disinfectant solution; matches in a waterproof container; blankets or sleeping bags; duct tape and a first-aid book; a battery-powered radio, flashlight, and extra batteries.
Stay safe during winter storms by preparing well in advance! Seek all the relevant home services including the HVAC contractors if you have to do it in readiness for the cold season. While snowstorms may seem far from inevitable, being ready for them is always better than scrambling around trying to put together the right plan for your family when the worst-case scenario comes to fruition.
Do not forget to get the relevant plumbing solutions when looking at tips on how to prepare for the snow. Water damages are costly so you also do not want to be caught up in flooding or other plumbing system problems during the cold season. Apply the above methods of how to prepare for the snow and you will have all it takes to enjoy the season.
