While the winters in North Carolina might not be as brutal as they are in other parts of the country, that does not mean that you, as a homeowner, should slack off and leave things to chance.
Winterizing is an essential step in preparing for the colder months – and it can save you a lot of trouble and money in the long run! Here are some of the things you need to consider if you plan to winterize your home before the months turn cold.
Get Appointments Made
You are not the only homeowner in the Raleigh area; many others want to winterize their homes as soon as possible. That means all the best roofers will have their appointment books filled before you can blink.
If you have an issue that you know will take some time and effort to fix, you need to ensure that the contractor has plenty of warnings to organize their other needs as best as possible. Many homeowners end up with contractors that they return to repeatedly over the years. Building a rapport with them in this way is a great move, and it means that you might have a chance of bagging a precious appointment with them in the busy months if they know that you are a loyal customer.
Start-Up, Work Down
The first place you should inspect should be your roof. It is also one of the first places you are likely to spot any issue. We might not always notice a leaky window or a door that won’t close properly, but we notice when water leaks through the ceiling. As a result, a good and thorough inspection of the roof is always a must when preparing to winterize a home.
Try to leave this to the professionals. A Raleigh roofing contractor will be your best bet for spotting any underlying issues with your roofs, and they will also have the expertise and knowledge needed to fix things. Roofing repairs are never undertaken lightly, and your roofing contractor will be able to tell you the best way to proceed and the project costs if they discover something you need to fix.
Re-caulk Your Windows and Doors
Do you feel like there is a draft somewhere in your home? Older windows and doors can often be responsible for sapping the heat from our properties and preventing a home from genuinely heating up. If you feel like your home is often drafty, then it will be worth your time to try to establish where this draft might be coming from so that you can fix the issue.
Once you have found it, you need to concentrate on how you can stop it to prevent it from leaking again. The most apparent path can often be to recaulk your window and door frames. This will be a long and messy project, but it can make a real difference to the inside of your home. Ensure you know precisely what you are doing before undertaking the project, or consider contacting a contractor to help you complete it neatly if your skills aren’t up to par.
Prep Your Pipes
When was the last time you inspected the pipes in your home? Should they freeze up, there is a chance that they could burst and cause some severe water damage to your property. If you live in an older home, you must check your pipes when winterizing, though you should also do so on a modern property. Insulate your pipes well, especially those that are touching exterior walls, and check all the faucets regularly throughout winter to ensure that you have a quick stream and, therefore, no worrying blockages.
While checking your pipes, you should also consider looking at your gutters. You can also tick off the list when you are looking into your roof’s current condition. You want your gutters to be clean and free of debris. If they have too much in them, they could then freeze. The added weight of the guttering could then cause it to collapse and cause damage to your home. Make sure that everything is clean and empty to avoid this unnecessary damage.
Change Your Filters
You undoubtedly have several filters throughout your home that help with various things, such as air quality. You need to ensure that they are clean and in perfect condition for winter, which probably means you will have to swap them out.
Start with your furnace filters. Most brands require you to change them at least twice a year, meaning spring and autumn are the perfect times to change them out. However, some brands require more, so ensure you properly check to know how often you should change the filters for maximum efficiency.
Next, you need to focus on your HVAC units. After a summer of working hard, the filters probably need to be switched out. Please take this as an opportunity to perform some basic maintenance on the HVAC units, too, to ensure that they are in peak condition and able to help keep you warm as it gets colder.
Make a List
Organization is critical when trying to winterize your home correctly. You need to make sure that you have a list of all the tasks that need to be done and the supplies needed to undertake them properly. With them in hand, you should be able to ensure that your home is ready for whatever the winter months may want to throw at them.
Need some help getting your roofs ready for winter? Contact our Greensboro roofing company here at Big Bear Roofing now, and we’ll help check that your roof is in the best condition for the colder months.