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Winter is upon us, which means it’s time to check and recheck parts of your house that are exposed to weather elements. Here are some tips and tasks to address winter home risks.

Insulate Your Pipes

Protect your pipes from winter weather elements with foam, pipe sleeves, and heating tape (or cables). The winterizing materials can keep your pipes warm to prevent them from freezing or bursting.

Frozen pipes can burst and cause severe damage to your house. Also, open a few exterior faucets to trickle at night to reduce pressure as you sleep through the night.

Drain your sprinklers, especially automatic ones, and remove garden hoses from outdoor faucets.

Check Your Roof

Clean your roof and remove debris such as leaves and pine needles. This debris can rot in your roof and hold moisture that could weaken shingles. Check for damages or missing shingles.

If you find cracks or damaged parts, repair them immediately or hire a handyman to fix them. Also, check vent stacks and chimneys for hidden cracks.

This would be the best time to evaluate your CO Home Insurance. See if your coverage is updated and if you have adequate protection from damage risks brought by weather elements.

During winter, make sure you remove snow piles on your roof to avoid ice dams on your gutter.

Plan for Power Outages

Power outages can happen anytime during a blizzard and heavy snowfall. So, prepare for these outages. Here are some things you need to have before the full blast of winter arrives.

• Two-way radio for continuous communication. Choose solar, battery, or hand-crank-powered.
• Flashlights for lighting
• Extra batteries for your devices
• Generator, which could be portable, electrically charged, or gas-powered
• An emergency kit that contains food, bottled water, first-aid medicines, and blankets (or clothes)
• Knowledge on carbon monoxide poisoning

Fix External Lighting

During winter, daylight is shorter than usual. This would mean longer nights and more time spent in the dark. To avoid accidents and burglar attempts, keep your house well-lit.

Change lightbulbs in your external lightings before the first snowfall. Check these lightings regularly to ensure they’re in top working condition.

You may also install lights with motion sensors so that you can conserve energy. Besides, these lights would be better in scaring off people attempting break-ins.

Clear Walkways and Driveway

Sometimes, unprecedented situations happen during winter. Prevent accidents by clearing snow as soon as it piles. If you’re shoveling during winter, buy reliable and ergonomic tools to make the task easy and quick.

Take constant breaks when clearing your driveway or walkways with snow. These breaks are helpful to keep your muscles relaxed and prevent stiffness due to the cold weather. Wear thermal clothes, a hat, and gloves to avoid getting frostbite.

After clearing the snow, salt the walkways and driveway to slow down the buildup of ice.

Watch Out for Icicles

As enchanting as icicles may appear, their presence in your house’s gutter is ominous. Icicles are indications of ice dams, and ice dams block the drainage on your roof. These could even worsen air leaks on the roof.

To prevent icicles and ice dams, install heating cables on your roof. Insulate your attic- you may also want to hire a professional to assess the condition of your roof.

In case you opt for DIY, wear safety gears such as a hardhat and goggles. Don’t work with children around the area of the icicles.

Disinfect Your Interior

Viruses and bacteria can breed faster during winter, at least inside your home. Heat makes these unwanted organisms multiply quicker than you could imagine.

Since everyone stays at home during snowstorms and most days of the winter season, you and your family are susceptible to illnesses. Disinfect regularly. Ask other family members to wash their hands often before eating, after using the toilet, and other dirty chores.

Adjust the thermostat and lower it by five degrees or to a comfortable level. You could use a humidifier to circulate air inside.

Stay safe during the winter season by keeping a risk-free environment. Protect your house with insurance coverage that will let you reimburse repairs costs when a pipe bursts or ice dams damage your roof.

About Mountainside Insurance Management

Mountainside Insurance Management, LLC is a multi-state insurance brokerage and management specialist. We are an independent brokerage and work with over 150 A+ carriers to secure comprehensive coverage for our clients. Our brokerage is committed to providing the highest quality insurance and risk management services at the most competitive premiums with hands-on services tailored to our customers’ needs. For more information about reducing your risk, contact us today at (720) 800-9495.