Preparing Your Home for Inclement Weather: 5 More Tips for Homeowners

Fall is here and that means dramatic weather changes! Today may be bright and sunny, but tomorrow could be icy, damp, and cold. Autumn in New York brings rapidly shifting temperature and precipitation. As a homeowner, it’s important to be prepared.

Read Part One of this Article: Preparing Your Home for Inclement Weather [INFOGRAPHIC]

Insulate Exposed Pipes

As anyone who has been through it before will tell you, a burst pipe can be an expensive nightmare. Protect any water pipes that are exposed to the elements – outdoors, in unfinished cellars, potentially vulnerable to extreme conditions. There are different ways to protect the plumbing– jacketing with a prefabricated sleeve, wrapping with electric heat tape, spraying foam insulation, draining and shutting off outdoor faucets, and/or by installing a freeze-proof faucet.

On very cold days, let cold water trickle through the pipes, which also prevents freezing.

If you’re not sure which method is best, speak to a professional who can help you decide. Don’t delay – now is the time to act, before the ground (and the pipes) freeze.

Quick Tip #6: Don’t let exposed pipes create a disaster. Consult a professional to ensure your pipes are protected from the cold.

Prepare for Less Light

Even for those of us who love the fall season, the lack of daylight can become tiresome. After early November when the clocks change, we’ll be waking in the dark and arriving home in the dark, and the adjustment can be tough. There are a few things homeowners can do to prepare themselves, and their homes, for fall’s lack of light.

Use a full-spectrum lamp to mimic the healthful, Vitamin D-producing effects of sunlight on your skin. Whether outfitted to your home office, kitchen, living room or bedroom, full-spectrum lights help combat the slogging feeling at home.

Also, install timers on all your lights, inside and out, to better serve you and your property. Keep walkable paths well-lit with timers or motion sensors, and time the interior lights to switch on around dusk.

Finally, clean the windows to allow for the most amount of natural light to stream through to your living space. Use a lint-free cloth and window cleaner inside and outside the pane for the best outcome. A clean window allows much more daylight through than a dusty, streaked window. Your home will also feel lighter with more light streaming through.

Quick Tip #7: Make use of a full-spectrum lamp and install timers on your lights to turn on before sundown.

Quick Tip #8: Clean the windows to allow maximum daylight into your home.

Read Part One of this Article: Preparing Your Home for Inclement Weather [INFOGRAPHIC]

Inspect Your Heating Units

The time to have your heating units repaired or replaced is long before you need to use them. It’s not always obvious when furnaces, boilers, radiators, and HVAC systems need fine-tuning. Test your thermostat and ensure its working properly and that heat is being distributed as expected throughout the house. Check the power cords on any electric heaters, have the chimney cleaned, the boiler inspected and the radiators bled.

A professional should inspect your heating units every 5 years at minimum. We recommend hiring an HVAC technician to inspect your home’s heating system and follow their recommendations for cleaning, maintaining, repairing or replacing heating elements.

Quick Tip 4: Hire a professional to inspect your heating system and follow their recommendations.

Know Your Supplies

Preparedness is a homeowner’s best defense against cold, wet, inclement weather. Take an inventory of health and safety supplies, basic repair kit items, auto and home maintenance supplies. If you own a generator, test it to be sure its working. Place flashlights with fresh batteries or candles and matches in strategic places around your house. Use the next two weeks to stock up on supplies.

Quick Tip #5: Take an inventory of basic supplies and necessities so you can be prepared for emergencies.

Read Part One of this Article: Preparing Your Home for Inclement Weather [INFOGRAPHIC]

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