With the winter comes not only cold temperatures and lots of snow, but problems breaking out all across your house. To stay safe this winter, keep your house protected and save yourself lots of money in the process, this guide outlines five ways to be prepared for and mitigate the worst of the cold weather. Read on below to learn more.
Prevent Frozen Pipes
Frozen pipes are the bane of many homeowners. This is not just a question of energy and water pipes no longer working but can even cause serious flooding. Pipes usually freeze over when the temperature drops below minus 7 degrees celsius. There are a number of ways to mitigate this, however, including insulating your pipes, keeping your garage door closed, covering any outside faucets, turning off sprinkler systems and disconnecting and draining garden hoses. If your pipes are frozen over, these Edmonton plumbers can solve any problem you might have.
Stay Warm
Staying warm is essential over the long winter months, especially with more and more people staying indoors as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. You should prepare ahead of the winter by making sure your heating system works, including radiators in every part of your home. In addition, make sure there are no cracks in the walls or windows that don’t close, as the cold chill will be able to find a way in. Additionally, you should keep your curtains closed as this will trap the heat within the house, as well as insulating electrical outlets and keeping fireplaces clean in case you need to use them in times of extreme cold.
Keep the Outside of the House Clean
Keeping your house clean allows you to mitigate the worst of cold weather, including ice and snow forming, which can cause serious damage. You should make sure to clean your gutters, grit your steps, drive and roof, drain any fountains you might own, use a broom to clean up snow from flowers and trees and use a snow shovel to keep snow off your drive. Along with a clean front garden, it’s essential to:
Protect Your Car
To be able to keep driving in inclement weather, make sure your car is running smoothly by checking the anti-freeze levels, covering the windows so snow and ice can’t form, and adding windshield wiper fluid that’s freeze resistant. Also consider investing in snow chains so you can drive safely on icy and snowy roads.
Prepare for Snowstorms
Snowstorms are an inevitable part of living in a cold part of the world and are likely to increase due to global warming.
That’s why you should remain prepared by stockpiling food and prescriptions, keeping your car filled with gas, investing in back-up phones, portable phone chargers and portable power generators in case the power goes out. This will be a last-case scenario, but it’s better to be safe than sorry in case you get unexpectedly snowed in and can’t safely leave the house.
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