3 Reasons Why You Should Winterize Your Home & When To Start
Winter is hard on homes. From falling snow to cold temperatures, this season can lead to roof damage, siding damage, leaky pipes, and more. You can’t keep Mother Nature from having her way, but there are steps you can take to prepare your home for the challenges of winter. This process is often known as winterizing.
When To Winterize
The best time to winterize your home is in early to mid-autumn before temperatures drop too low. Surprise October snowstorms are not unheard of, especially in Ohio. Acting early ensures your home is protected when those first snowflakes start falling. Early action also gives you time to have minor repairs made, if needed. For example, if your roofer discovers from missing shingles while on your roof, they can schedule a longer repair appointment a week or two later. The sooner you winterize, the better your contractors will be able to accommodate your schedule.
What’s Involved In Winterization
Here are the key steps involved in winterizing the average home:
- Cleaning the gutters and checking them for leaks
- Checking for damaged and missing shingles
- Ensuring your roof flashing is secure and in good repair
- Securing any loose siding
- Replacing worn or torn weatherstripping around doors and windows
- Adding insulation to areas where it is sparse
- Insulating around water pipes
Your contractor may recommend some additional steps, depending on the layout and structure of your home exterior.
Why Winterization Is Important
Contractors often recommend homeowners winterize homes to reduce worry and stress throughout the season. When it comes down to it, there are three ways in which winterization saves you from headaches and concern.
1. Making Repairs In Winter Is Hard
Roofers can and do work in the winter, but it’s much harder to replace shingles or secure flashing when the snow is flying. Thus, repairs made in winter take longer and often cost more. Plus, if there’s a lot of snow on your roof, your roofer may have trouble accessing the area where repairs are needed. Window, door, siding, and gutter repairs present similar challenges.
When you winterize your home, you greatly reduce your chances of needing mid-winter repairs. Your contractors will note small issues like peeling shingles or clogged gutters. They’ll fix those minor issues so they don’t devolve into bigger problems in the winter. If your contractors discover bigger problems while there, you’ll have a chance to make repairs while the weather is mild.
2. Winterization Improves Energy Efficiency
The price of energy is climbing, and energy efficiency is more important than ever. Nobody enjoys the sticker shock that comes with a sky-high energy bill. Winterizing your home can help lower your energy bills. If you have loose or damaged weather stripping it, replacing it will reinforce the seals on your windows or doors, preventing air leaks. This will keep your home warmer in the winter and prevent drafts, lowering your heating costs. If your attic is lacking insulation, your roofer can add more during the winterization appointment. More attic insulation means lower energy bills and a more comfortable second floor. Siding repairs can also improve your home’s “seal” and increase efficiency.
3. Winterization Prevents Frozen Pipes
One of the worst things to have happen in the winter is your pipes freezing. It may seem like a minor annoyance if you only lose water to a tao or two. But the real damage comes if those frozen pipes burst. Water expands as it freezes, so if it freezes inside a pipe, it can blow out the walls of the pipe and cause a huge leak. Repairing water damage from a frozen, burst pipe is an expensive and time-consuming task. Luckily, you can greatly reduce the risk of frozen pipes with good winterization. Your contractor can repair damaged siding which might expose your pipes to more cold. They can add insulation to walls where pipes are located, and they can directly wrap un-insulated pipes.
Winterization, in general, tends to keep your home warmer, which makes frozen pipes less of a concern. Plus, when your home is nicely winterized and efficient, it’s less tempting to turn the thermostat down when you leave for the day. You can keep your thermostat at a higher temperature, protect your pipes, and still conserve energy.
This fall, take the time to properly winterize your home. Your hours and dollars will be well spent as you move into winter with fewer worries about repairs, efficiency, and damaged pipes. If you’re looking for a roofing and siding company in Central Ohio or Cape Coral, Florida, contact Allstate Exteriors & Restoration. Our friendly, experienced contractors will look over your home and make sure it’s ready for whatever this winter brings.
