Essential Tips to Prepare Your Home for Winter Weather

Winter is almost here, and fall can be the perfect time to prepare your home for the winter. Harsh winter weather conditions can come up fast. Get your home ready now so you’ll be able to focus on more important things with these steps.

Don’t Delay

Waiting until the last moment (or as the snow is piling up) to get your home and landscape rocks in Las Vegas ready for winter is a bad idea. Schedule in time to care for your home. Begin by stocking up on necessary winter items like salt, snowmelt and snow removal tools. Put any outdoor furniture away and do not neglect cleaning your grill for it to be ready for the upcoming year. It’s also a good time now to see if your furnace is in proper working order. Do not get stuck in the cold behind a waiting list of 30–90 days to get an available furnace repairman out to repair your furnace. Get your furnace tuned up now and avoid troubles down the line.

Get Your Gutters Clean

All of that grime, leaves and dirt that you left to clean during the summer is now built up and can be clogging the gutters. The main reason to clean the gutters before winter is to avoid “ice-dams.” Dirt, leaves and additional debris can create water build-up and cause blockages. As water freezes, it harms your gutters, walls and roof of the house. While your home is heating up and melting the ice, water may seep into damaged areas or the walls to cause mold and other harm to the inside of your house.

“Ice-dams” can be prevented by making sure your attic does not reach 5 – 10 degrees warmer than the temperature outside. Icicles dangling off your roof is an indication that the ice-dam could be forming. Ensure your attic is cool by getting your light fixtures and ceiling fans sealed. This way they won’t leak warm air into the attic.