Safeguarding Your Residence to Prevent Cold Weather Problems: What New Homeowners Must Know
By Julie DeLong, A-1 Freeman Moving Group
Summer is a preferred season for moving to a new home in Austin. For first time homeowners, it's a time that's brimming with excitement and eagerness as you get to depart on a new path with your loved ones while getting all moved in and settled. It is also a time of year when you have to start thinking about the best way to protect your residence against the nasty elements of approaching winter weather that lies ahead as the seasons change. If you are new to the arena of homeownership, follow this advice to make sure your house is winter weather prepared this season:
Install Faucet Covers
Repairing ruptured water pipes and faucets is often a costly situation, especially for new homeowners who might possibly have spent a great deal of funds to move to Austin into their new residence in the first place. Prior to when winter weather makes its presence felt, make sure to install insulated faucet covers on all the faucets on the exterior of your home. This is also the perfect time to inspect any vulnerable piping around your residence and wrap it up as needed.
Clean the Gutters
Ideally, you'll have gutters with built in covers or screens to keep leaves as well as crud from entering the drainage reservoirs in the first place, nevertheless, if not, then you need to make an effort to clean them out ahead of when the frigid weather has arrived. Clogged gutters get bogged down with water and extra weight if they are not draining appropriately, and this may lead to the rain gutters falling off your house.
Clean the Walkways
Vegetation along with landscape rubble may get slimy when it starts to rot and decay in rain and wintry conditions, and so this can lead to slip and fall risks. Take a hands-on approach to protect your family members as well as visitors from injury and blow the debris away prior to when winter weather sets in.
Seal Doors and Windows
Drafts use up significant energy and may lead to more costly heating expenses when cold weather makes its presence felt. Examine every window and door at your residence and see if you can feel a draft blowing through. Foam strips are a quick and economical way to seal up the drafts in windows and doors. They are available in a variety of different thicknesses and sizes, and have adhesive backs, to ensure that they will adhere to almost any surface. Down the road, you can think about buying storm or replacement windows and doors that should do a significantly better job protecting your house all seasons of the year.
Chimney Evaluation and Cleaning
Chimney fires genuinely are a hazardous issue that can be prevented with a little attention before Mother Nature flips down the thermostat. Creosote accumulation and bird's nests might possibly be the most frequent causes of chimney fires and can be cleaned out swiftly by a skilled chimney sweep, who will use specialized instruments as well as brushes to completely clean out soot and creosote deposits.
Furnace Upkeep
Now's the perfect time to take a look at the furnace, switch out the air filters, and ensure the equipment is functioning as it should. Your furnace should automatically identify once the temperature drops in your home and turn on consequently. After you have confirmed that your furnace is working correctly, go around the house and check each heater vent to make sure they are simply open and clear of obstructions.
Safeguard Outdoor Furniture as well as Grills
Extreme wintertime weather elements may cause your outside grill and outdoor furniture to corrode and decay. Before winter makes its presence felt, buy a grill cover and patio furniture covers. Clean your stuff, let it dry thoroughly, and after that securely cover it for the winter. Chair covers, cushions, and pillows needs to be kept in the garage until warm days present themselves once again in the spring.
Plan ahead and safeguard your home and lawn stuff from the extreme elements of winter. By making certain your home is winterized in the autumn season, you'll save time and expense without having to deal with the stress of pricey residence repairs.
We at A-1 Freeman Moving Group have all the workers and equipment available to enable you to move into your new home, and can offer you suggestions regarding how to best safeguard your new investment when you're all moved in.
Contact us today so we can help with all your residential move to Austin!