We don’t need Jon Snow to tell us that winter is coming. The snow, rain and freezing temperatures are inevitable and now is the perfect time to take advantage of the beautiful autumn days and get your house ready for the coming cold weather. Here are just a few steps you can take to protect your home against winter weather damage.
● Drain and put away hoses.
● Winterize windows and doors with weatherstripping.
● Change furnace filters.
● Install storm windows and doors.
● Turn ceiling fan switch to run in reverse, pulling the warm air upwards.
● Have furnace cleaned and inspected for carbon monoxide leaks.
● Remove and store window air conditioners.
● Have your chimney professionally cleaned.
● Flush your hot water heater to clear out any sediment build-up.
● Put away all yard furniture, toys and garden decorations.
● Prune any branches hanging over your roof that may get weighed down with heavy snow.
● Make sure all heating vents are clear and not blocked by anything.
● Add extensions to your downspouts to make sure water flows at least 4 feet from your house, keeping the water away from your foundation.
● Inspect roof for any shingles that may have lifted or are not properly nailed down.
● Clean and inspect gutters.
Cleaning and inspecting your gutters is one of the most important things you can do to prepare your home for inclimate weather. Leaves, acorns and other debris build up and instead of directing the water to the downspouts as they are designed to do, the water accumulates and can spill over the sides of the gutters which will cause damage to doors, siding and your foundation. When the temperatures go down, the trapped water freezes which can cause ice dams, damaging the gutters and the roof, creating leaks in your home.
It is not only important to clear the leaves, but to also inspect for holes in the gutters that could’ve been caused by hail or by branches poking through or from rust, and to make sure that your gutters haven’t begun to sag as this would cause water to puddle and not run down the rainspouts. It’s always best to take care of repairs before the temperatures freeze.
Autumn may be a good time to have gutter guards installed which can help keep your gutters clear of those colorful leaves. GutterPros offers several kinds of guards from metal to mesh to foam, all of which can help cut down on your gutter maintenance. And if you don’t like the idea of getting up on that rickety ladder of yours and cleaning out all of that muck in your gutters, we can do that too! GutterPros has experienced and friendly technicians that can clean your gutters quickly at an affordable price and can perform any repairs. We’d be happy to come out and inspect them for free and give you an estimate.
Before you know it, Old Man Winter will be on our doorsteps. So bundle up and call GutterPros to help you get ready for him!