Winterizing Your Home

Guest blog by Safeco

Snowy days are just around the corner. Learn how to safeguard your home against frigid weather and harsh conditions. Get helpful tips for your home.

Overview

From frigid temperatures to icy conditions, to power outages and freezing pipes, staying safe and warm during extremely cold weather conditions or a winter storm can be a challenge. For this reason, experts agree that it is important to make a plan to safeguard your home against harsh winter elements.

Follow these steps

• STEP 1: Stay on top of winter storm warnings

  Overview

  It’s important to pay attention to weather reports and warnings regarding potential freezing weather and winter storms. Sign up for your community’s warning system, as well as the Emergency Alert System.

  To learn more about receiving wireless emergency alerts, visit the National Weather Service website.

  A winter storm warning is issued when hazardous winter weather in the form of heavy snow, heavy freezing rain, or heavy sleet is imminent or occurring. These warnings are typically issued 12 to 24 hours before a winter storm event. This type of event can include enough ice accumulation to damage trees or powerlines and includes a life threatening or damaging combination of snow and/or ice accumulation with wind.

  A blizzard warning is issued when the following conditions are expected within 12 to 18 hours: snow or blowing snow that reduces visibility to ¼ mile or less for at least 3 hours and sustained winds of at least 35mph or frequent gusts of wind that reach 35mph or greater.

  A winter storm watch is issued when there is a possibility of a blizzard, heavy snow, heavy freezing rain, or heavy sleet. These warnings are typically issued 12-48 hours before a winter storm event.

  A winter weather advisory is issued for accumulations of snow, freezing rain, freezing drizzle, and sleet which will cause significant inconveniences and, if caution is not exercised, could lead to life-threatening situations.

• STEP 2: Protect your pets in freezing weather, too!

  Overview

  Don’t forget about your pets!

  • Stock up on pet foods and supplies.

  • Bring pets indoors.

  • For pets that cannot be brought inside provide proper shelter and fresh water.

  • If you must evacuate consider bringing your pets with you. If you can’t bring them with you, consider designating a family member who can temporarily take in your pets.

  • Keep salt away from the paws of pets.

• STEP 3: Know your emergency procedures

  Overview

  Whether you are outside in the elements, driving your car or at home when freezing temperatures move in, here are some tips for staying safe.

  If you are at home when freezing winter weather strikes:

  • Remain inside. Even if it appears to be safe, leaving your home on foot or in your car could result in you getting stranded out in the elements and in need of help.

  • When using heat from your fireplace, wood stove, space heater, etc., practice safety measures to prevent fires (e.g., keep flammable materials away from heaters and open flames) and properly ventilate. In addition, have all fireplaces inspected in the fall to prevent flue fires and smoke issues.

  • If you have a gas furnace, and if it is safe to walk outside of your home, make sure it isn’t blocked by a snowdrift.

  • If you have an upstairs gas furnace that vents out the roof, you may need to turn off the upstairs unit until the snow melts off your roof.

  • If you have a generator, be sure that you know how to properly use and maintain it and never use it indoors.

  If you are at home and your only source of heat goes out:

  • Close off unneeded rooms to avoid wasting heat.

  • Stuff towels or rags in cracks under doors.

  • Close blinds or curtains to keep in some heat.

  • Eat and drink. Food provides the body with energy for producing its own heat. Cold air is very dry, so drink lots of water and other non-caffeinated, non-alcoholic drinks to prevent dehydration.

  • Wear layers of loose-fitting, lightweight, warm clothing. Remove layers to avoid overheating, perspiration and subsequent chill.

  If you are suddenly caught in an ice storm and are stranded inside your car:

  • Stay in your vehicle! If you leave your vehicle, you could quickly become disoriented in wind-driven snow, ice and cold.

  • Run the motor for 10-minutes each hour to help maintain your body heat until help arrives, or you can safely drive to shelter.

  • While running the motor, be sure to open the window just a bit to allow fresh air to come in to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning. If it is safe to do so, clear snow from your car’s exhaust pipe to avoid gas poisoning.

  • Try to be as visible as possible to rescuers by:

    • Turning on your car’s dome light at night when running the engine.

    • Tie a bright cloth or any type of brightly colored item to your antenna or door.

    • Once the snow stops falling and if it is safe to do so, raise your hood to indicate to others that you need help.

  If you absolutely must venture out in your car:

  • Bang on your hood or kick your tires to make sure that no small animals have taken refuge in or under your car.

  • Slow down! Even if the roads just look wet, they could still be slick.

  • Make sure your vehicle is completely clear of ice or snow before driving as flying snow and ice from cars can cause accidents.

  • Let someone know where you are going and what route you will take. In the event you become stranded, this person will know where to start searching for you.

  • Leave your home with a fully charged mobile phone, car charger and an emergency supply kit.

  • If weather conditions have made it difficult to see, pull over to the side of the road and remain there until visibility improves. Turn off your lights and use your parking brake when stopped so that another car won’t mistakenly follow your tail/brake lights and end up hitting you.

  If you are outside and suddenly find yourself in the middle of a deep freeze:

  • Find Shelter and try to stay dry. Cover all exposed body parts.

  • Move your arms, legs, fingers and toes to keep your blood circulating. Don’t overexert yourself. If you sweat, you could become chilled and hypothermic.

• STEP 4: Assess exposure & know what to do

  Overview

  Regional differences exist between homes located in the northern U.S. and those in the southern regions. Older homes, especially homes in the south, may be more susceptible to below freezing temperatures and are more likely to lack adequate pipe or attic insulation.
  Before winter sets in, it is important to assess your home’s exposure to cold weather risks and create a plan.

  Helpful tips:

  • Assess all possible severe winter weather conditions that you likely to encounter in your area. For example, is heavy snow and ice common where you live? What about high-winds or flooding?

  • Create a winter storm preparedness list so you know what to do before, during and after a storm. Visit Ready.gov to read more about winter storm readiness.

• STEP 5: Prevent plumbing from freezing

  Overview

  Even a little ice can tear open a water supply line, causing pipes to burst and create thousands of dollars in damage to your home. Fortunately, there are simple steps that you can take to winterize your pipes – most of which you can do yourself.

  Helpful tips:

  • Insulate and seal attic penetrations such as those for vents or plumbing and anywhere piping or wiring penetrates an exterior wall.

  • Make sure your pipes are insulated in hard-to-reach places like attics, crawl spaces and along all outside walls. Using the specifically designed pipe insulation, wrap the pipes and faucets in unheated or minimally heated areas.

  • Caulk and seal the exterior of your home around windows and doors.

  • Add weather-stripping as needed around doors and windows, making sure you cannot see any daylight from inside your home.

  • Temporarily cover any ventilated crawl spaces of your home.

  • If you aren’t able to perform these tasks on your own, contact a reputable handyman service in your area that can help. In addition, many hardware or home improvement stores have experts who can help answer your questions.

• STEP 6: Winterize your landscaping & irrigation systems

  Overview

  When temperatures drop below freezing, any water left in a sprinkler or irrigation system will expand. Irrigation systems that aren’t properly winterized can show signs of damage later on in the spring. In addition, any water that is left behind in the pipes during the winter can freeze and expand, causing pipes or fittings to burst.
  Severe winter conditions can wreak havoc with your home’s landscape. From broken tree branches to debris that can build up on your roof, winterizing your yard can prevent costly repairs.

  Helpful tips:

  • Shut down your pool and sprinkler system. Drain outdoor faucets, irrigation system and hoses.

  • If you don’t have frost-proof outdoor faucets (homes built before 2010 typically do not), turn off the shut-off valve for outdoor faucets inside your home.

• STEP 7: Tune up your home’s heating system

  Overview

  Having your furnace inspected before winter sets in can ensure that when you need it, it will be in good working order. An annual maintenance check can also reduce safety hazards from carbon monoxide or gas leaks, confirming that there are no leaks and that you and your family are protected.

  Helpful tips:

  • Schedule preventative maintenance for your home’s heating system to make sure the system is operating properly and efficiently (this should be an annual task on your pre-winter to-do list). You don’t want to be last in line for repairs on the coldest day of the year, which could cause pipes to freeze.

  • Ask your heating technician to change out any air filters to ensure that your system can achieve its manufacturer-rated efficiency, and check that exhaust gases are being properly ventilated.

• STEP 8: Prevent ice dams and leaks

  Overview

  Ice dams are most common in northern climates, occurring when heavy snow buildup melts during the day and then refreezes when temperatures drop at night.

  According to the National Weather Service, it’s common for melted water and ice to work up under shingles after several days of melting-freezing cycles, eventually allowing water to enter the attic and causing damage to ceilings, walls and contents.

  While you can’t guarantee that an ice dam won’t damage your home, you can take steps to minimize or prevent ice dams ahead of winter season.

• STEP 9: Clean your chimney

  Overview

  Cleaning your chimney every year is a necessary task, one that can help prevent a number of dangerous occurrences.

  Creosote is a byproduct that is left over when wood is burned. As you use your fireplace, insert, or woodstove, creosote can build up on the inner walls of your chimney. Over time, this can interfere with the chimney’s ability to vent dangerous toxins out of your home that can cause respiratory health issues. In addition, an excess buildup of creosote can also cause chimney fires.

  Helpful tips:

  • According to the National Fire Protection Association, you should have an inspection done on your chimney at least once a year to ensure its proper functionality and safety. Cleaning, maintenance, and repairs are based off of the inspection and should be completed by a chimney professional. This can help to prevent chimney fires and keep carbon monoxide from building up in your home.

  • When not in use, close your damper to avoid warm air escaping up the chimney.

• STEP 10: Test smoke and carbon monoxide detectors

  Overview

  Did you know that having a working smoke alarm in your home can reduce the risk of a fire-related death by 50%? Every year, approximately 890 lives could be saved if all homes had working smoke alarms.

  Carbon monoxide detectors are equally important in keeping you and your family safe by alerting you when dangerous levels of the toxic gas are present in your home.

  During the winter storm season, take the time to check, install and maintain your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.

  Helpful tips:

  • Smoke detectors should be installed inside of every bedroom, outside of all sleeping areas and on every floor of your home.

  • The International Association of Fire Chiefs recommends installing carbon monoxide detectors on every floor of the home – including basements.

• STEP 11: Service your generator

  Overview

  When you need it the most, the last thing you want is for your home generator to fail. Getting your home generator serviced before the winter storm season sets in is critical because you never know how long you may be without power.

  Helpful tips:

  • Establish a maintenance plan for your generator’s specific model by checking the owner’s manual, which should tell you:

  • When to check and change the oil

  • When to replace the spark plug and air filter

  • When to clean the spark arrestor screen

  • How often to run the generator, which is usually every couple of months

  • How to store the generator, usually in a dry place

  If you don’t feel comfortable performing maintenance on your generator yourself, you can always contact a local generator repair service that can help.

Original article can be found here