Is Your Home Winter-Ready?

Winter always seems to sneak up on us and before we know it, we’re pulling out the snowblower and cranking up the heat. Just like we have to bundle up and prepare for the cold this winter, we have to make sure our homes are ready for it, too. Here are some things you can do to help prepare and maintain your home all winter long.

Winter-Ready the Inside of Your Home

According to the American Red Cross, home fires occur most during December and January. The cause is mostly from either leaving your stove on or heating malfunctions. Trying to heat your home through unconventional methods can be very dangerous, it’s best to leave that job to your thermostat. Never try to heat your home using your oven. When using a space heater, it is safer to plug it directly into the wall without using an extension cord. When you are finished using it, don’t forget to unplug it from the wall. If a power outage does happen, it’s safer to use battery-powered flashlights and lanterns rather than using candles.

Another challenge homeowners face during the colder months is the possibility of freezing pipes. Leaving water faucets dripping slightly at night can help prevent pipes from freezing. You can also keep cabinets beneath sinks open so the pipes are exposed to heated air. If your pipes do freeze, you can defrost your pipes with warm air from a small hairdryer; do not use a blow torch. 

Winter-Ready the Outside of Your Home

Don’t pour warm water on your windshield to remove snow or ice. This could potentially shatter your entire windshield.  And to avoid going viral for having a not so graceful fall captured on your Ring Doorbell, consider salting all the walkways around your home. Even if there isn’t much snow, it can melt and refreeze into slick ice which makes for dangerous situations.  Lastly, don’t forget to clean out the rain gutters before the weather gets too bad to do it. A clogged gutter can cause ice build-up that can allow unwanted water back into your home. 

If you’re ready to get your home even better prepared this winter with a home security system, call WISE today at 1-844-904-9473!