****For those of us in the Q, our summer seems to just be ending. Here are some tips on getting your home ready for the imminent cold we should expect this year.****
The change in the seasons also spells a change in the threats you and your home face, courtesy of Mother Nature. We must be proactive in our approach to home maintenance if we want to stave off unnecessary costs and damage to our house and property. But when it comes to end-of-summer preparations, the stakes are even higher. The fact that fall is followed quickly by winter makes these end-of-summer, home-related tasks all the more important; in essence, we must prepare for the next two seasons. And, with winter posing great health risks to many, we have to get on these preparations before the temperature and elements turn for the worse.
Checking Off the List While the Weather Permits
The dangers of waiting too long to enact fall and winter home safety procedures should be obvious. Still, to many, they aren’t. We tend to procrastinate, but when it comes to preparing our homes and, in doing so, protecting our families, let us not waste one second more! Adhering to and completing an end-of-summer home preparation checklist sooner, rather than later, will make your life easier.
Start with the Safety Devices and Prepare for the Worst
Any fall and winter home-prep checklist worth its snow-melting sidewalk salt has instructions on how to prepare for the worst. The checklist provided by Organized Home is certainly worth reviewing. Begin by checking the devices that protect us from danger—specifically, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.
These devices—no exaggeration—could be the difference between life and death. Make sure their batteries are fresh and that they are functioning properly, especially on the eve of the winter season. But, when it comes to prepping for the worst-case winter scenario, don’t stop with the alarms.
Ready.gov provides a comprehensive guide for being prepared in the case of a winter storm. It details pre-, during, and post-storm preparation, spanning everything from your home, vehicles, and family. This list could prove invaluable to both you and your property.
Preparing Your Property
Fall is often a temperate, beautiful time, but winter can be cruel. The Spruce offers a great list of winter house-prep musts. They cover fire safety, heating system maintenance, how to prevent pipes from freezing, and plenty more. It’s easy to overlook, but changing your air filters could keep your family breathing in clean air all winter long. Additionally, don’t be deterred if the weatherman is predicting a mild winter; the temperature can drop unexpectedly at any time, so don’t assume your pipes won’t need insulation just because it’s not supposed to get that cold.
Follow Farmers Insurance’s guidelines, including their wise tip pertaining to weather-stripping, which could save you a fortune on energy bills. There really is never too much you can do to prepare yourself and your home for the winter season, and referring to as many sources as are available while getting ready for the cold season is the most thorough approach.
While a January snowfall can be beautiful, the winter weather can also be both dangerous and damaging to your home. That said, much of winter’s troubles are avoidable. All it takes is some extra time and effort.
Leave a Reply