Before the winter season, it is important to take precautionary measures to help your home throughout the chilly temperatures. Winterizing your home helps protect it against potential damages and weather, while also benefiting you and your comfort. In this blog, we will discuss steps to winterizing your home and the benefits it can provide.
Why Is It Important To Winterize Your Home?
Winterizing your home help keeps it secure, safe, and comfortable. Without properly preparing your home for the chillier months, common consequences can be:
- Frozen And Burst Pipes
- Snow And Ice Buildup On Roofs
- Ice Dams On Gutters
- Damaged Driveway
Frozen And Burst Pipes. Pipes can freeze due to the water inside expanding as it freezes, and burst due to the increased pressure. This can result in flooding and water damage in your home.
Snow And Ice Buildup On Roofs. Without proper winterization, snow and ice can buildup on your roof. This can cause water leaks or your roof to cave in.
Ice Dams On Gutters. Ice and snow can build up due to clogged gutters, which can weigh on the gutters and cause strain or damage.
Damaged Driveway. Constant ice and snow on your driveway can cause damage such as cracks and chips. Frequently shoveling can also cause the same effects.
Steps To Winterization
Winterizing your home can save stress, time, money, and comfort this winter season. To prevent damage to your home this winter, we recommend taking the following recommended 5 steps to winterize your home:
- Protect Pipes
- Ensure Proper Insulation
- Clean Gutters
- Seal Cracks
- Schedule Heating Maintenance
Protect Pipes
Before the temperatures drop, it is best to insulate your pipes, especially in crawl spaces, attics, and garages. When temperatures are below freezing, let warm water drip overnight and open cabinet doors with pipes inside them. This allows warm water and heat to reach uninsulated pipes.
Ensure Proper Insulation
As warm air rises, it can easily exit through your attic, roof, and cracks if your home is not properly insulated. Results of poor or no insulation can be high energy bills and an uncomfortable home. Low-E Insulation® is an easy to install and flexible insulation choice to keep your home warm and cozy this winter.
Clean Gutters
To prevent ice dams from building up on your gutters, we recommend cleaning out your gutters before the first snow. It is also beneficial to install gutter guards to help keep additional debris out.
Seal Cracks
Warm air can easily escape through cracks in windows and doors, which can drive up utility bills. Caulking and weather stripping your home is an easy and cost effective way to eliminate drafts and heat loss.
Schedule Heating Maintenance
To ensure your heating unit is ready to battle the cold temperatures, it is important to schedule heating maintenance. Your heating unit may have underlying issues and result in an uncomfortable and costly breakdown this winter.
Benefits Of Winterizing Your Home
Although winterizing your home can be tedious, it can save you and other residents from additional stress and discomfort. Winterizing your home can greatly benefit homeowners in more ways than one, such as:
- Energy Savings
- Lower Utility Bills
- Increased Comfort
- Prevent Repairs
- Secure Home From Damages
Products To Help With Winterization
Low-E provides many products to help increase energy efficiency and savings. For winterization precautions, consider using Low-E Insulation.
Low-E Insulation
Low-E Insulation is manufactured using a polyethylene foam core with reinforced double sided aluminum facings and can be easily installed with a razor knife and foil tape. Low-E Insulation provides an excellent vapor barrier and reflects up to 97% of radiant heat. To learn more about Low-E Insulation or to find a dealer, visit our Insulation page!
We are here to help protect your home from weather and potential damages. To stay warm and cozy this winter, consider our 5 winterization tips and Low-E recommended products!