Just because it’s winter, doesn’t mean it’s cold. If you happen to live in a region with little to no frosty weather, your winter prep can focus less on preparation and more on preserving your outdoor living areas during the idle months ahead.
Accessibility is key when you have the good fortune of being able to enjoy your patio year-round. You should, however, keep in mind that outdoor cover protection is still a necessity for ensuring your belongings stay in top performing shape throughout the winter, into spring, summer, and beyond.
Termighty Protection
There’s a surefire, one-two punch prevention plan when it comes to protecting your home from termites. What better time to tackle this pest problem than the dead time right before the holiday?
The first part, prevention, involves you phoning a local, qualified pest service to send an inspector to your dwelling. In doing this, an inspection can be properly conducted to insure your home is free and clear of termites. Inspectors will examine the integrity of your home for potentially hazardous conditions that are advantageous to termites.
The second part, protection, calls on you to take action to insure your home is defended against termites year-round.
- Remove access to gas and water lines.
- Reduce food sources.
- Remedy excess moisture sources.
- Monitor your defense with sporadic checks throughout the year.
Trim the Tree
Not with tinsel but with sheers. It’s crucial to remove any potentially hazardous limbs prior to the holidays. Overhanging limbs pose a serious risk for falling at the drop of a hat, cratering your roof and dampening your family’s festivities.
If you yourself don’t feel quite comfortable undertaking the risk of trimming trees yourself, you can instead call a tree removal company to take care of matters for you. You can however, use custom covers on outdoor essentials to prevent any falling debris from ruining them.
Ventilation Station
Winters can typically be stuffy for attics, especially when not properly ventilated.
To ward this woe off, ensure your attic is properly ventilated and nicely insulated. Also, make sure to seal off air leaks that might warm the underside of the roof for risk of losing airflow in your home.
Weatherproof Exterior Pipes
Cold weather can be disastrous for the external pipes. Since frozen pipes can crack easily, resulting in serious structural damage, keeping them safe from moisture can help prevent obstruction. To provide an extra layer of protection, wrapping them with an insulation tape proves beneficial.
Make certain that all the pipes, especially in the basement, outside walls, and attic are fully drained and covered with custom covers and tarps. You can also install a flow-based water leak detection system to block out the water system in case of an emergency.
Inspect Drainage System
With winter, the signs of dampness and mildew start to appear in your attic and basement. To stave these signs off from scarring your home’s decor, better check on blocked downspouts, gutters and exterior drainage systems which tend to aggravate these issues.
While a clogged gutter can overflow and ruin your porch, decked with plush table covers and chair covers, the blocked downspouts cause damage straining the drainage system.
Examine Window Wells
Examine if your window wells are in good shape. Window wells or basement windows not only let natural light into your cellar but also aid in ensuring proper ventilation.
As it’s easy for the window wells to get flooded with water and soil, ensuring the liners are firmly attached to the foundation and the wall is important. Waste no time in replacing the loose liners to prevent putting the basement at risk.
Protect Your Outdoor Furniture
Weather plays an important part in your outdoor furniture’s longevity. Whether it is rain or something more severe, sheathing them with custom covers helps protect your outdoor furniture.
Along with rendering overall weather protection, a range of table covers and sofa covers available in an array of prints, motifs and fabrics add a distinct character to an otherwise drab porch. Consider wrapping up your grill with custom grill covers for the next summer.
Get Your Electrical System Ready
Nothing is worse than a failed electrical system during the winter, which are synonymous with shorter and generally more overcast days. As you are prepping for winter, giving your home’s main circuit breaker a check is a must.
Inspect your main service panel for sparking and wires & wall sockets for bad insulation and discoloration. If you see any potential red flags, be sure to contact a local electrician for a more thorough inspection.
Rug Up
While winter-proofing your home for milder weather, don’t forget to cover your floor. Just because the climate is milder doesn’t mean you don’t have to worry about cold weather rolling in on whim.
To prevent the escape of heat and seal warmth inside, rugs and knits are like a cozy, convivial hug for your home. You can even turn your home into a hygge abode with this Danish Trend We Can’t Get Enough Of.
Be Emergency Kit Ready
Plan ahead and have a generator, lanterns and battery handy in the event of a potential power outage. Other items to pack away for a rainy day: water, non perishables, medical supplies, and plenty of entertainment for you and your kids.
Bleed the Radiators
Bleed your radiators as winter arrives in order to utilize their maximum efficiency and help them run in full capacity. As the radiator bleeds or releases the trapped air, it works effectively and saves you big bucks and energy to boot.
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