Preparing your house for extreme cold weather is an important task to ensure that your home is safe and warm throughout the winter months. With the right preparation, you can minimize the risk of damage to your home and avoid costly repairs. It’s also important to have emergency plans in case of power outages or other unexpected events. This guide will provide you with step-by-step instructions on how to prepare your house for extreme cold weather, including tips for maintaining your home’s safety and comfort.
How Do I Prepare My House For Extreme Cold Weather?
What’s Happening With the Weather?
One of the most important things when it comes to preparing your home for weather changes, is to know what’s going to happen with environmental conditions: thus, what are you really preparing for?
The weather report, available from websites like Accuweather, informs you of any drastic changes in the coming days – or as far ahead as several months.
A detailed weather report, usually over a long period of time, tells you what the approximate temperature range is going to be, and what other conditions (e.g. rain or snow) you might have to deal with.
Know what the weather might be up to before you shell out any money or time to prepare your house for it. Blind preparation costs a lot of money and often doesn’t give you the protection that you need.
Roof Preparation
The first area of the house that you should prepare if you are expecting freezing temperatures and snow or ice is the roof of your home. A roof is the first place that takes the impact of freezing weather. Your roof also takes the weight from heavy snow that can present a serious danger to the occupants of the home.
The roof is also the part of the home that is most likely to experience heat loss, which can be prevented if your roof is properly insulated.
Small structural changes to the roof might be required anywhere your home isn’t prepared for the weight of snow and ice. Always ensure that gutters are clean and empty before colder weather arrives. In some cases, it is best to hire a local roofing professional to tackle this job.
As protection against the cold, it’s possible to cheaply insulate most of a roof to prepare against the potential for heat loss.
Inside the House
The roof of the home isn’t the only place where preparation for freezing winter weather can be important. Doors and windows can leave your home susceptible to frigid winter weather.
The inside of the home has a lot of gaps where cold air gets through, including windows and doors that have not been properly insulated and sealed. Homes should also have a layer of insulation between the inside and outside, though there are many homes that do not.
Just like a car that has to be prepared for colder temperatures, it’s important that you do the same thing for the home.
If your home has notorious cold spots, then take a closer look at your windows and doors. Reseal your windows and doors if you spot an air leak and see if the natural temperature in your house has a chance to rise. If not, you might need to think about replacing your old windows and doors.
Outside the Home
Once the inside and roof have been taken care of, homeowners should take a look at the outside of the home and prepare it for winter as well. Remember to check windows and doors on the outside of the home for any signs of cracks or holes that would let cold air in. If there are any cracks or holes, you’ll feel it more in cold weather, therefore, you’ll want to take care of it sooner rather than later.
Gardens should also be tended to in order to give your plants and soil protection against the extreme cold weather. Netting can be purchased from most hardware stores and is used to cover plants so that they don’t get the worst of the cold or frost. Be sure to check specific instructions for each type of plant to get a better understanding of their watering and feeding routine before (and after) the changing of weather patterns.
Lastly, unplug garden hoses, drain them, and make sure the water is shut off in order to prevent pipes from freezing and bursting when the temperatures drop below freezing.
Discount Window and Door of Omaha
At Discount Window and Door of Omaha, we are committed to providing the best quality doors and replacement windows. We employ the most skilled installers to ensure the highest standard of quality service. Our Omaha door and window installers are highly trained, certified industry professionals with years of experience, including some second and third-generation employees.