As you turn up the thermostat and adjust to lowering temperatures, make sure you’ve fully optimized your home’s features for the impending winter weather. We provided tips for effectively preparing your doors and windows during the cold months in a previous blog. However, other crucial elements of your household may also need attention as wintertime approaches.
Clean Your Gutters
During the first part of our Winter Maintenance Tips, we’ll start with how to maintain your home’s outdoor drainage system, or simply put, your gutters. In order to protect the home and its foundation from cracking, a well-maintained spout will redirect water away from the house and prevent pooling.
Many homeowners are under the impression that gutter maintenance is strictly reserved for autumn weather – most likely because the fallen leaves tend to cause more frequent clogs. However, it’s imperative that you also clean out your gutters before the first day of winter.
Freezing temperatures are seasonally frequent in our area, meaning a higher risk of ice dams in your gutters. Although the presence of icicles is a common sign of ice dams, they can also form inconspicuously within your system. The risks of ice dams include potential water backups into your home, weakening or breakage of the gutter itself or potential harm to those walking beneath an overhang. Keep these hazards in mind to avoid costly repairs.
All the snow we regularly get here in Kansas City eventually melts. If there’s a block in your drainage system, water will accumulate and re-freeze, leading to congestion and possibly causing severe damage to your gutters and roof.
When temperatures rise and fall, debris tends to build up in gutters as snow and ice melt off your roof. Throughout the winter months, you should maintain gutters to avoid this issue, particularly after a significant snowfall.
However, icy surfaces can make this task increasingly risky, so be sure to contact Blue Springs Siding & Windows should you need professional assistance.
Consider gutter guards if you’re looking to make your gutters last as long as possible. Our choice Bulldog Gutter Guard can help you virtually abolish the daunting chore of cleaning out your gutters.
This innovative system assures you’ll never have to crawl up a ladder and tediously muck out spouts and drains. Plus, it comes complete with an industry-leading warranty on all parts and labor, so it’s designed to last a lifetime.
Inspect Your Smoke Detector
The United States Fire Administration (USFA) reports that faulty heating causes 27 percent of fires during the winter. It’s crucial to your family’s safety to ensure that your smoke detectors work properly. In the case of a house fire, a functioning smoke detector will immediately alert you to impending danger, allowing you to evacuate quickly and safely.
Ideally, every room of the house and hallways should have a smoke detector. You should check the batteries in each unit once a month and have spare batteries on hand if they need replacing. According to the National Fire Protection Agency, you should change batteries approximately every six months and replace the entire unit at least every 10 years.
Be sure to talk through an escape plan with the members of your household should a fire ever occur. You can also prepare by regularly checking the functionality of all the windows in your home. If any of them are difficult to open in an emergency, you may want to invest in window replacements for the malfunctioning hardware. Reach out to the Blue Springs Siding & Windows team for expert window installation that guarantees your family’s safety.
Check Outdoor Lighting
Since we lose sunlight earlier and earlier each day in winter, you probably won’t spend as much time outside. However, it’s still crucial that your outdoor lighting works properly. Assure that all outlets and electrical wiring have correct and secure installation to avoid short circuits and system failures.
When you’re assembling your spectacular holiday light display, for example, verify all of your equipment is safe for outdoor use and all components have adequate installation and anchors.
From festive carolers stopping by to friendly neighbors dropping off treats, ensure that everyone stays safe on your property by checking your lighting twice.
Stock Up On Salt
While Kansas City sees less snowfall than many other areas in the United States, it’s important to be prepared whenever the flurries begin to form. You’ll also want to get ahead of any ice accumulation on those brisk winter mornings. Stock up on salt, sand, and snowmelt to prevent slipping and sliding on sidewalks and driveways.
As a bonus, the area around your home will be much easier to clear of snow when you aren’t slipping and sliding! Pushing a shovel or snowblower is significantly less difficult when you can keep your footing, so make sure to lay down your snowmelt in anticipation of snowfall.
Many homeowners are understandably concerned about the environmental effects of snowmelt products, but we’re happy to report that eco-friendly products and homemade recipes are available as non-toxic, organic alternatives to conventional melters.
Prepare for Winter in Kansas City - Contact Blue Springs Siding and Windows Today
Our specialists are eager to help you equip your household with the products and services you need to defend against cold weather.
We’re also happy to answer any questions about safeguarding your home this winter, as well as provide any other resources for completing your home improvement projects. In the meantime, contact us at 816-542-3913 to learn more about door installations, replacement windows, siding, and the other fantastic exterior products we offer!
