10 Steps to Keep your Home Safe During Severe Winter Weather

10 Steps to Keep your Home Safe During Severe Winter Weather

If you’re a homeowner, now is the time to take precautions to keep your home and loved ones safe during severe winter weather. Follow these 10 steps to protect your property and belongings from the cold, icy conditions.

1. Turn off Exterior Faucets

Don’t overlook this simple step! Undrained water remaining in pipes during freezing temperatures pose a potential threat!  Pipes can burst as the ice expands so disconnect your garden hoses and drain any remaining water!

2. Stock up on Cold Weather Essentials

Don’t wait until the last minute to purchase shovels, salt or blankets.  Stores could sell out!  Stock up now before it’s too late!

3. Check Your Gutters

You should keep your home’s gutters clear all year long, but it’s crucial in extreme winter weather! When icy leaves pile up in your gutter, the backup can cause melting ice and snow to spill into your attic or basement. 

4. Set your Thermostat to a MINIMUM of 65 Degrees

Most of your pipes are located within your home’s walls, where the temperature can be substantially colder.  A temperature lower than 65 degrees poses a threat to freezing and damaging pipes.

5. Let Hot and Cold Faucets Drip Slowly

During severe winter weather, keeping water moving within the pipes will help prevent freezing.

6. Keep your Fireplace Flue CLOSED when you’re not using it.

Keep unnecessary cold weather out of your home.  Close the flue to your fireplace when it’s not in use.  If you use it – ensure there are no combustible items near heat sources and watch them closely, especially the first time in the season you use them.

7. Keep Any Garage Doors Closed

Keep everything within your garage safe from weather by closing the doors. Plus, if your garage is attached to your house, the home entrance door from the garage is probably not as well insulated as an exterior door so this will keep more heat in.

8. Keep Sidewalks and driveways clear of snow and ice

Maintaining the condition of your sidewalks and driveways will keep your loved ones and neighbors safe.

9. Use Window Insulation Film to keep Drafts at minimum

Ensuring proper window insulation will not only keep out the cold air, but it will also lower your energy costs.

10. STAY WARM!  

Make sure you have plenty of blankets and a back-up heat source prepared! 

It’s important to keep safety at the forefront of your mind during extreme winter weather. The 10 simple steps we’ve shared will help you stay on top of all aspects of home security and give you peace-of-mind while keeping everything running smoothly in your household. 

If you need assistance during winter weather, let us know.  Our team is always ready to serve you and we can lend useful advice or get you connected with a vetted professional who can help!