Shielding Your Home to Prevent Cold Weather Problems: What New Homeowners Should Know
By Julie DeLong, A-1 Freeman Moving Group
Summer is a popular time for moving to a new home in Oklahoma City. For first time homeowners, this is a period that is packed with excitement and eagerness as you get to embark on a fresh journey with your loved ones while getting all moved in and settled. It is also a time of year when you need to start thinking about how to guard your home from the harsh elements of upcoming frigid weather which is coming up next as the seasons change. In case you are new to the arena of homeownership, follow this advice to make certain your property is winter prepared this season:
Install Faucet Covers
Fixing ruptured water lines and faucets can be an a costly situation, particularly for new homeowners who might possibly have paid out a great deal of money to move to Oklahoma City to their new house in the first place. Prior to when frigid weather sets in, be sure to install insulated faucet covers on each of the faucets on the exterior of your residence. This is additionally the perfect time to examine all uncovered piping around your residence and wrap it up as needed.
Clean the Gutters
Ideally, you should have rain gutters with built in covers or screens to prevent foliage as well as dirt from getting into the drainage reservoirs to begin with, nevertheless, if not, then you should attempt to clean them out before the cold weather has arrived. Stopped up gutters get bogged down with water and additional weight when they are not draining correctly, and this can result in the gutters falling off your house.
Clear the Sidewalks
Leaves as well as other landscape rubble will become slimy when it begins to decompose and decay in rain and also snowy conditions, which might lead to slip and fall hazards. Take a hands-on method to protect your family as well as visitors from incident and blow the debris away in advance of when wintry weather takes hold.
Seal Windows and Doors
Drafts waste significant energy and can bring about more expensive heating costs when wintry weather makes its presence felt. Inspect each door and window at your residence and figure out if you're able to feel a breeze coming through. Foam strips are a fast and reasonably priced approach to seal up the drafts in windows and doors. They come in a number of various thicknesses and styles, and have adhesive backs, to ensure that they will adhere to virtually any surface. In the future, you can consider buying storm or replacement windows and doors that should perform a better job insulating your house all climates and seasons of the year.
Fireplace Assessment and Cleaning
Chimney fires can be a dangerous matter that may be prevented with a little TLC in advance of when Mother Nature turns down the thermostat. Creosote accumulation and bird's nests tend to be the most frequent reasons for chimney fires and could be cleaned out swiftly by a qualified chimney sweep, who'll use specialized equipment as well as brushes to completely clean out soot and creosote deposits.
Furnace Preservation
Now's the best time to take a look at the furnace, replace the air filters, and make certain the device is working as it should. Your furnace ought to automatically identify once the temperature declines in your home and kick on appropriately. Once you have established that your furnace is functioning properly, go around the house and examine each heater vent to make certain they are simply open and free of obstacles.
Safeguard Deck Furniture and Bbq grills
Nasty wintertime weather elements can cause your outside grill and outdoor furniture to corrode and decay. Prior to when winter makes its presence felt, purchase a grill cover and outdoor furniture covers. Clean your equipment, let it dry totally, and then carefully cover it for the wintertime. Chair covers, cushions, and pillows needs to be held in the garage until warm temperatures present themselves once more in the spring season.
Think ahead and protect your house and lawn gear from the extreme elements of winter. By ensuring your house is winterized in the autumn months, you will save time and expense and not have to carry the burden of costly residence repairs.
We at A-1 Freeman Moving Group have all the workers and equipment on hand to help you move into your new residence, and will give you tips and advice regarding how to best safeguard your new investment once you are all moved in.
Contact us now so we can assist with all your residential move to Oklahoma City!