Winter is a magical season full of snow-filled excursions with family and friends but it courses untold problems in your home such as snowy rooftops, icy driveways, and more. Your homeowner’s insurance will protect you from most of the problems, but prevention is better than cure.
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For this reason, we have prepared 10 ways that you could prepare your home for winter. At American Financial Solutions, we will help you get the most suitable homeowner’s insurance in the USA.
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1. Stay Vigilant
Most people who have experienced winter most of their lives prefer to take a vacation to a tropical paradise but end up feeling stressed when they come back. If you are planning a winter getaway, ask a friend or family member to check on your home since some homeowner’s insurance providers exclude the cases where the home was not monitored effectively.
2. Monitor Unexpected Floods
Winter is characterized by icy conditions, and the ice melts after a while. This could leave your home with water damage caused by floods from the melted ice. For this reason, monitor the icy conditions regularly and take measures to avert any water damage caused by unforeseen floods.
3. Unscrew Your Hoses from Outdoor Spigots
Frozen pipes are another of the worst effects of winter on your home. In the worst-case scenario, they could freeze up and burst. Before winter rolls around, drain all your hoses and bring them indoors.
4. Check Your Insulation, Window, and Door Seals for Leaks
Frigid air can slip through your insulation or window and door seals. This makes your furnace work harder than necessary leading to reduced efficiency. These leaks will also make your home colder than usual and increased heating bills.
5. Clean Your Gutters
You will need to clean out your gutters to ensure that they can withstand the weight of the snow and ice. Check whether they have any cracks or holes as this will ensure that they can properly drain the water once the snow starts to melt.
6. Install Weather Strips
Weather-strips prevent frigid air from slipping into your home and prevent heat from escaping through the openings such as door and window seals. Focus on high traffic areas such as the doors and windows.
7. Turn Off Outdoor Faucets
Damaged water lines are difficult to rectify during winter. Turning off the outdoor faucets will help reduce the pressure in the pipes as well as reduce the risk of ice build-up. Ice build-up will lead to the pipes breaking up at the weak points.
8. Cover Your Windows
Before the onset of winter, invest in a window insulator kit and cover your windows. The air trapped between the window and the film will act as an insulator. Most kits have double-sided tape and could cover up to five windows. You could also consider a more permanent solution such as storm windows, which are more expensive, but effective.
9. Check Your Heating System
A broken heating system is the stuff of nightmares and should get checked by a professional and ensure that it is working efficiently. If you have a furnace, ensure to clean it out and replace the filter. Also, ensure that drapes or furniture are not covering or blocking the heating vents.
Source: Thayer Corp
10. Trim the Trees around the Home
The trees around your home could break off during a winter storm causing extensive damage to several parts of the home. Trim the trees well before the first snowfall before the leaves start to fall. This will prevent problems such as clogged gutters leading to winter storm damage.
Are You Ready for Winter?
Prevention is better than cure and this is the right time to start preparing for winter. Many home improvement professionals will help you get ready for winter but be sure to get the best value for your money.
At American Financial solutions, we will help you identify and buy the most appropriate homeowner’s insurance. This will come in handy in case of any extensive damage to your home this winter and beyond. Contact us today.
