Is your home well-equipped to handle the cold winter months? Harsh snowstorms and freezing temperatures are to be expected, and these can be tough on your property, and may even cause substantial damage if adequate preparations haven’t been made in advance. Winterizing your home can keep the heat in, lower your energy bills, and can even reduce the risk of injury to household members.
In addition, winterizing could also save you from costly repairs as a result of either water or mold damage, which would require the intervention of a professional damage restoration company. To lessen expenses and protect your property, ServiceMaster by LoveJoy has prepared steps to winterize your home before the weather turns colder.
Steps to Winterize Your Home
Prepare your property this winter by taking appropriate actions in the following areas.
Pipes
Frozen or burst pipes are common problems during the cold season. Protect pipes by draining water from the swimming pool and sprinkler system water lines. Garden hoses must be detached from spigots and must be drained before storing. Pipes in the unheated areas of the home, such as the attic, garage, and basement must be insulated. If there is a huge drop in temperature, let the faucet drip.
Exterior
Gutters must be cleared of leaves, twigs, and other materials to allow melted ice to flow freely and prevent the occurrence of ice dams, which could enable water to seep into the attic or roof and cause water damage. Cracks and air leaks around windows and doors should be caulked or sealed.
Interior
It is important to keep the heat in during cold winter months. Do this by adding interior weather stripping around windows and doors. In order to decrease the heat lost through glass windows, it would be helpful to apply an insulation film. A storm door may be added to entryways leading outside the house. For doors leading to an attached garage, draft guards may be used. In order to keep the indoors warm, ceiling fans must be set to rotate clockwise to push the warm air back down into the room. Also, fireplaces and chimneys must be checked and cleaned properly.
Insulation and HVAC
Ensure that the home has adequate insulation, including unheated areas such as the crawl space and basement. It is ideal to have the HVAC inspected and serviced before the weather gets cold in order to ensure that the equipment is in good working condition and a system breakdown can be avoided. Also, change air filters before turning on the heat.
Thermostat
The U.S Department of Energy recommends setting the thermostat to 68°F while you're awake and setting it lower while you're asleep or away from home.
It is still early enough in the winter for you to complete these tasks and winterize your home for the rest of the season. By following these steps, you can improve the energy efficiency of your home, keep your heating system functioning normally, and prevent frozen or burst pipes that can lead to water damage problems.
Winter Water or Mold Damage?
Contact ServiceMaster by LoveJoy, Georgia’s Leading Restoration Service Provider
When water or mold damage strikes your property this winter, trust the restoration specialists at ServiceMaster by LoveJoy to remove the damage and restore your property to pre-loss condition. Since 1999, ServiceMaster by LoveJoy has been providing businesses and homeowners the highest quality of water and mold damage restoration and cleaning services. Our IICRC-certified firm has a team of licensed and fully bonded technicians who have the qualifications, training and experience to handle any size disaster using cutting-edge restoration equipment and the best industry practices.
Contact ServiceMaster by LoveJoy today at (678) 293-0297 for Conyers customers and (770) 983-6665 for Roswell customers. Our Emergency Response Team is on-call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to immediately assist your water or mold damage emergency. We service Atlanta, Roswell , Sandy Springs, Marietta, Decatur, Stockbridge, Conyers, McDonough, Stone Mountain, Covington, Social Circle, Dekalb County, and Fulton County, Georgia and surrounding areas.
