Winter storms can wreak havoc on your home, and end up costing you a lot of money in the process. Winter proofing your home doesn’t have to be costly or overwhelming, and can give you piece of mind, while keeping you and yours safe and warm.
Here are a few tips from Mike Holmes, star of the popular television series “Holmes on Holmes” and “Holmes Inspection” as seen on HGTV and the recently launched magazine Holmes: The Magazine to Make it Right, on how to keep your home safe as you weather yet another storm in this frosty winter season:
The most important thing to remember when preparing to weather proof your home is that you don’t want water from melting snow to get behind any exterior sheathing — the stucco, siding or bricks. If it does, the wood framing and structure will get wet. You want your exterior structure to be able to repel water, but if any does get in, you want the water vapor to be able to escape. It’ll dry out eventually, but repeated wetting and drying will lead to rot. You also don’t want the water to get further inside; if it soaks the insulation, that’s bad, because it’s very difficult for moisture to escape once it’s trapped within the building envelope.
• Start by clearing snow away from doors and windows. Snow melting could come in windows, doors and other openings in the house which could lead to mold issues
• Keep the walkways and steps clear by scattering salt to keep ice from building up on concrete
• Make sure to keep snow away from all air vents that bring air in for furnaces and hot water tanks
• Should your area receive a large amount of snow, make every effort to hire a pro and remove large snow deposits from roofs and away from intakes, doors and windows, as large quantities of melting snow, especially on roofs, can cause a great deal of damage to not just siding and insulation, but gutters as well
Remember, winter proofing your home is as important as weatherproofing your car. The more you take care of it, the better it takes care of you…
For more helpful tips on caring for your home, look for the February issue of Holmes: Magazine to Make it Right on stands January 11.
