Freezing temperatures are setting in and you might want to start preparing your home for the winter. The colder the outside, the warmer inside. Texas residents will have to take extra measures to make their house winter-friendly.
Real Estate experts share some top tips to avoid the costly damage during winter. Here’s how you can make your home ready for the winter season.
Start Outside
Cut up the tree branches that are near to your windows as snow tends to settle more on the branches. Clean out your gutters and all the downspout positions in your backyard. Check whether your roof is in proper condition and do all the necessary repairs prior to snow. If the roof is not well repaired, snow gets accumulated on it and will cause leakage problem and you will have a pool of water inside your room. And we DO NOT want that! Check thoroughly that your downspouts are not sagging and are draining water properly. Remove the twigs and branches from your yard. In case there’s a storm or wind, these tend to flow with the wind and stick on the sidings and your windows.
Check the Windows
Checks for the gaps around your windows. If there are any gaps they will allow the air to enter the house. In that case, get a self-sticking weather-strip. It will be a useful tool that will help the windows shut tightly. Also, make sure that the window is cleaned well. You can use window cleaning agents in order to do so. A dirty window pane will block the light from getting in the house. This will also be a great opportunity to clean your curtains, couches etc.
Check your water lines
Whether your house is new or old, you should keep a thorough check on the waterlines located in the crawl spaces of your house. They can be exposed to harsh winds and cool temperatures. To protect them, you can wrap them up with insulating heat tapes. The heat tapes should be in working condition and plugged in. some crawl spaces in the house may have vents which will allow the cold air to pass in. So, you must close the vents to protect the water lines from cold drafts.
Heating and Air Conditioning Systems
While preparing for the colder months, check whether your HVAC system is in sound condition. It is used more in the summer months and as a result it can collect lot of dust and debris. You can boost its efficiency by changing the filter. If there are signs of technical problems with your HVAC system, or if there is water pooling around, you might want to get it fixed. HVAC technicians can troubleshoot the components and with regular cleaning will enhance your equipment’s efficiency. You can also take a professional’s help to provide you insights on proper functioning of your HVAC System.
Clean the chimney and the fire space
Once you are done checking your HVAC system, do not forget your fireplace. They can accumulate a lot of smoke and soot. Before the cold season starts, you can get the fireplace inspected by a professional. Also see that there are no cracks around the chimney. If there are any cracks, they will allow the moisture to get into the chimney. Put any flammable materials like gasoline and cooking oil away from the fire place. It is wise to get the chimney inspected annually by a roofing professional.
Use humidifiers
Humidifiers with controls can reset the humidity level based on the air temperature outside. This combination will help keeping the frost from forming and the humidity level will be lowered when the outside temperature falls. General temperature to be set is around 35-40%. As the temperature falls to single digits, it should be closer to 20%.
Deep cleaning your home
This will be an ideal time to clean your home as you have a chance to declutter all the items that are unused and you do not need it. Your kitchen will require some cleaning too. Termites can be kept at bay by removing the grime from the kitchen. Your carpet will need a good vacuum as well. You can get rid of the dust and stains by vacuuming it.
Prepare for snow-removal
Dig out your snow blower and fire it up before there is heavy snowfall. Keep a check on its functionality for that heavy snow morning. If it does not work, then get it repaired as soon as possible. Keep the salt and shovel ready in case the snow blower is not functioning. A driveway and sidewalk free of snow is not only aesthetic looking, but also is important for your own safety.
Conclusion
Prepping up your home for winter can be a burden. But, if you neglect taking these steps, it can lead to a great disaster. If you want to increase your home value and keep it as good as new after the winters end, then make sure to follow the above mentioned tips before it snows!
Let Reyes Signature Properties assist you in preparing your home for winter. With our team of experienced professionals, we will help you do all the necessary maintenance and repair work and make your home winter ready. We are real estate agents in san Antonio, Texas with more than 20 years of experience in the real estate market.
