Preparing Your Home for Winter Weather

Well, the cooler months have arrived and winter is right around the corner – unfortunately!

Preparing your home for winter is an important step in avoiding costly repairs when the cold fronts roll in. Please do yourself a favor and winterize your home to protect yourself from potentially costly winter woes.

A Few Tips to Prep Your Home for Winter from Charlotte Real Estate Expert Leigh Brown, best Charlotte agent and best Concord agent:

1. Get your pipes ready. If your pipes freeze, they can burst, leading to expensive water damage. Avoid this nightmare by ensuring pipes are well insulated and kept warm enough, even indoors where necessary. Avoid setting your thermostat too low and invest in inexpensive pipe insulation wherever needed. Know where your main water shutoff valve is so you can turn off water quickly in the event that a pipe bursts. Also, drain your garden hoses and outdoor faucets if possible.

2. Inspect your windows for air leaks, which can cause heating bills to skyrocket in the fall and winter. Replace any damaged weather strips to help keep the warm air in and the cold air out.

3. Cap your chimney. If your chimney isn’t covered, don’t be surprised if some little birdies and rodents find their way in there. Chimneys are a relatively warm, safe shelter for animals, so be sure your chimney is capped to keep them out.

4. Rake up your leaves. Keep any organic debris such as leaves, grass cutting, etc. away from your home and especially your foundation. Organic material can contribute to accelerated decomposition of concrete, rusting issues, etc.

5. Check your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors. When your furnace is running more frequently, there are more chances for things to go wrong. Keep your family safer by installing carbon monoxide and smoke detectors on every floor of your home and test them frequently to make sure they are working properly.

For more tips on winterizing your home in Charlotte NC, please get in touch with Leigh Brown!