How to Winter-Proof Your Home

By VanLines.com

After the movers have left and the unpacking has been finished you may have to spruce up your home with several home improvement projects. One of those is protecting your home from the cold by winter-proofing your home.

Winter-proofing a house is vital especially now that the winter season is coming. You don’t want to feel the terrible cold and see your kids suffering from flus and colds. You don’t want to get stranded in your house because you can’t open the door due to snow that piled up on your doorstep.

How do your winter-proof your home?
It can be a daunting task to make your house weather-proof but it can be easier if you know which areas you should focus on and how to go about making them winter-proof. The most important thing you should do before anything else is to make sure that the exterior of your house is winter-proof. You must focus on the exteriors, such as the siding, bricks, and the walls. While the materials used for constructing these areas are very sturdy and resilient, constant exposure to hot and cold temperatures can cause them to weaken. These materials may loosen, which will consequently allow the water to pass through and reach the interior walling. This is where the damage starts.

You can start winter-proofing your home by removing the snow from the windows and doors. The water can easily slip through the small openings and frames of your windows. When you open the door, there will be some snow and water vapor that will come in. Once done, you can proceed with removing the ice dams on your roof. An ice dam is a rim of ice that prevents the water or the melted snow from falling off the roof. These ice dams can really ruin your roofing. The water may even leak into the house which can cause severe damage on your home insulations and walls.

Next, clear out the driveway from snow. If the snow has greatly thickened on the driveway, you may need to ask help from the professional. There are snow removal services that offer various methods to remove snow from the lawns and driveways. If your driveway is made of concrete, don’t use the popular salting method because it can cause the concrete to crack. Don’t wait for your home to get damaged before you winter-proof it. You don’t want to end up spending lots of money to have your roof, walls, and driveways repaired. Winter-proof your home now, before the weather gets colder and the bad snowstorms hit.