Showing posts with label Protect your property. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Protect your property. Show all posts

Wednesday, January 4, 2017

Protect Your Property from Snowstorms



Many people invest in property in order to grow their finances in a stable and predictable way. However, property maintenance is something you need to know a thing or two about in order to make it a worthwhile investment. 

Insurance companies deal with millions of dollars worth of claims every year due to snow- and winter-related complications.

Protect your investment by ensuring that you’ve taken care of all the necessary precautions this winter. Here’s a list to get you started:

Make sure all of your pipes and plumbing are ready. Burst pipes from frozen water is one of the most common causes of residential flooding, and it’s just not something you want to have to deal with. 



So, you’ll need to turn off sprinklers, shut off the water main to outside water and drain the lines, cover outside water spigots with insulators, and take precautions to prevent indoor frozen pipes, like insulating the pipes and keeping the house at a certain temp, even if you leave town. 

Remember that you’ll also need to take winter measures if you have a pool or hot tub outside. Even something as simple as a fountain or birdbath can cause damage when the water freezes.

Seal up holes and cracks in your house. These might be large spaces left from wiring in phone lines or ventilation shafts, or just cracks in the molding. Make sure that everything is sealed up and that ventilation areas are covered with solid mesh. 

During the winter, critters retreat from the freezing temperatures by setting up shop in your home, and you really don’t want to deal with a mouse infestation in the winter. Additionally, extra holes and cracks will let your heat out and let you understand the meaning of a “draught.”

There are other things that you should do to winterize your house, too. Make sure you have weather sealing around your doors, with a door sweep at the bottom to keep the cold air out. 

Even double-paned windows can let in a lot of cold, so take additional measures to insulate, like insulating window clings, or insulating curtains. There are also cute decorative draft stoppers that you can get to keep your doors snug.

Get your car ready! This step is essential, since car safety is the biggest risk in the winter. Get winter tires, and stock your car with emergency essentials. For more details, check out this link.

Keep a snow shovel and rock salt close to your door, entryway steps, and walkway. Simply getting to or from your car or mailbox after a snowstorm can be terrible if you don’t have the right tools to keep things clear.

Keep some food storage. An impending winter storm can wipe the grocery store’s shelves clean in no time. People are concerned about getting snowed in, or treacherous conditions making it hard to travel. 

That’s why it’s always smart to keep a backup of essentials on hand, in case you and your family get snowed in. Simply make it a way of life! Also make sure that your house is well-equipped with extra blankets, flashlights, and batteries in case storms blow out the electricity. 



Speaking of winter storms, stay in the know by signing up for weather alerts, or downloading an app that will let you know about storm systems coming your way, and local road conditions.

Keep your body safe and well in winter. Learn to recognize signs of hypothermia and frostbite, especially with kids who might be too distracted by winter fun to notice. Stay well-hydrated. 

Many of us get dehydrated in the winter due to indoor heaters, and outdoor dry conditions. But sufficient hydration will help your body regulate internal temperature and stay healthy.

Keep your yard safe by keeping an eye on old trees’ branches.
Snow can pile up on them and they can crack and fall under the weight. Trim any danger-branches before winter snows hit, and shake snow off of smaller trees whenever possible in order to keep them intact.

Fire hazard and carbon monoxide danger
are higher in the wintertime, since we’re using alternate heating sources and not venting our houses as well. Make sure that your alarms are installed and functional so that you can sleep safe at night.

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