Winterizing Your Home

October 29, 2011 Posted by Ryaan in Blog

Its almost that time of year again folks, winter!! Listed below are three things you should do , to get your home ready for our famous New England winters. Winter can be a damaging, treacherous thing on your home. Resulting in unforeseen costs, and not to mention lots of aggravation. Water is the Number one offender when it comes to your home. Here a three things you can do to help keep the water out, dont wait till its too late!!

1.Check the Exterior, Doors and Windows •Inspect exterior for crevice cracks and exposed entry points around pipes; seal them. •Use weatherstripping around doors to prevent cold air from entering the home and caulk windows. •Replace cracked glass in windows and, if you end up replacing the entire window, prime and paint exposed wood. •If your home has a basement, consider protecting its window wells by covering them with plastic shields. •Switch out summer screens with glass replacements from storage. If you have storm windows, install them.

2.Inspect Roof, Gutters & Downspouts •If your weather temperature will fall below 32 degrees in the winter, adding extra insulation to the attic will prevent warm air from creeping to your roof and causing ice dams. •Check flashing to ensure water cannot enter the home. •Replace worn roof shingles or tiles. •Clean out the gutters and use a hose to spray water down the downspouts to clear away debris. •Consider installing leaf guards on the gutters or extensions on the downspouts to direct water away from the home.

3.Check Foundations •Rake away all debris and edible vegetation from the foundation. •Seal up entry points to keep small animals from crawling under the house. •Tuckpoint or seal foundation cracks. Mice can slip through space as thin as a dime. •Inspect sill plates for dry rot or pest infestation. •Secure crawlspace entrances.

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