How to Prepare Your Home for Winter

Take these steps to protect your home today

Winter. It feels like summer has only just started when those first few cold days arrive. And those cold days are a signal to start preparing your home for winter. Even a short winter can be pretty hard on your home’s exterior surfaces. Fortunately, there are some simple things you can do to protect your home against the elements. Consider the following tips to prepare your home for a winter, whether it’s short or long, because it can help avoid costly repairs and replacements.

Clean your homes gutters

If you have clogged cutters, that means you likely have trapped water. Sitting water in your gutter can cause overflows from heavy rainstorms. Worse still, once winter temperatures arrive, that trapped water can freeze. This additional weight can cause the gutters to pull away from the house or fall down. 

Cleaning your gutters regularly is the best solution – but definitely clean them in the late fall or early winter. This can prevent the freezing water, which can cause overflow or actual gutter and structural damage to your homes siding, roof, and foundation.

Protect exterior wood on your home

If you have a wood deck, consider sealing and finishing the wood in advance of the winter season. This is not needed every year; however, doing so every 2 or 3 years will increase the lifespan and quality of your deck. Another trouble spot on a lot of homes is the wood trim around doors and windows. This can deteriorate quickly if not protected. Simply keeping it painted and caulked should do the trick, but if you see rotted areas, have a professional take a look to see if it needs to be replaced. 

Check surrounding trees

Checking the health of your trees is necessary, particularly if you have larger and older trees. Sometimes it’s easy to spot a dying tree; other times it is not. Trimming your trees in spring or summer is a good maintenance measure and a good way to prepare your home for winter well in advance. Consider calling a professional service for any trees you’re not sure about. 

Clean your homes chimney 

If you’re looking forward to warm and relaxing fires this winter, get your fireplace cleaned and inspected. Chimney sweep companies will provide a full inspection, looking for any potential safety issues and recommending any maintenance needs.

Disconnect hoses and drain outside faucets

Outside water faucets are exposed to the elements, which is a problem during winter. They can freeze and then potentially split the water line. This might cause flooding in the basement next time you turn the faucet on in springtime!  So as you prepare your home for winter, be sure to drain the line before it gets too cold. You can do this easily by turning off the water valve to your spigot and then open the exterior spigot valve and watch the water drain out. This way, if the water freezes, it won’t result in broken pipes. At this point, leave the water shut off to the faucet until you need to use the hose next spring.

Wash Your Homes Exterior

Throughout the year, your home’s outside surfaces will suffer from a buildup of mold, mildew, moss, and algae. During winter, these elements can thrive, thanks to the often damp weather. The bad news is these substances can grow on nearly any surface, such as vinyl siding, stucco, and wood. The good news is, a thorough cleaning before winter arrives can help. Doing so will prevent these harmful elements from building up on surfaces and causing long-term issues or damage. 

Depending on the surface and where it is located, you might consider soft wash or some other form of pressure washing. Learn more about residential house washing or contact us for more information and a free quote. 

Preparing your home for winter weather is of critical importance if you want to avoid exterior damage and costly repairs. Put your mind at ease this winter by taking these recommended steps. You’ll be happy you did come springtime and your homes surfaces look better and last longer.