Hello single digit temps! Frigid weather is nothing new when living in South Dakota. We prepare ourselves mentally and physically for this weather. However, it’s also important to prepare your home for this kind of weather as well! Here are some helpful tips to get yourself ready for what’s to come.
Let Faucets Drip- faucets on the exterior walls are susceptible to freezing, as they are close to the outside. By keeping water at a slow drip (using both the hot and cold water), this will prevent freezing. Also, keep cabinets open to increase the warmer air to flow throughout the space and around pipes.
Keep Garage doors Shut- Garages are an area of the homes that’s not always insulated. This allows an abundance of cold air in. To prevent the cold air from coming in, you will want to keep access sealed as much as possible. If you feel a draft around the door, place a blanket or towel at the base to help create that seal. If you have living space above the garage, you will notice that area of the home will also get colder. Try to keep that room closed and insulated as much as possible. When leaving your garage, limit the amount of time your overhead garage door is open.
Block Cracks and Prevent Drafts- Prior to winter arriving, you should go around and apply weather-stripping under doors. Even with weather-stripping, you may still feel some drafts. So you will want to use extra towels or blankets underneath the door to help create that seal from allowing warm air out, and cool air in. Drafts may also come from the windows. In this case, you can apply stripping to the windows to create that seal. Make sure all of the windows are securely shut and locked as well. If your home has older drafty windows, it may be time to replace those.
Clean Gutters- We continuously preach about cleaning gutters. It must be important, right? Before winter hits, by cleaning your gutters, you clear out any blockages and allow ice and snow to melt and run down the spout. When there is blockage, now the snow and ice get jammed, creating ice dams. You are now looking at roof and water damage. If you are not comfortable, you can call the professionals to assist you.
Understand the Water Turn Off – In the event your pipes do freeze, you want to make sure you are familiar with where the shut off valves are located for both the interior and exterior, in case you need to stop the flow into your entire home.
Protect your home, family and pets when facing frigid temps. Limit the amount of time you, your family and your pets are outside. When traveling, bundle up, have an emergency kit ready, keep phones fully charged with location on, with food and water on hand.
When you experience frozen, burst pipes, your team at Crew Construction and Restoration is here for you! Tired of dealing with old drafty windows and ready to replace? Contact our team for a free quote on window replacements. For all of your project needs, you can rely on Crew! Call today to put your plans in action!
