Nine Ways to Protect Your Home From Winter Weather

Snow-covered lawns and cool winter weather can be nice when watching from the confines of a warm, cozy house. It can turn ugly in a hurry, though, when it causes serious damage to your home and property! Let's take a look at a few ways to shield your home from the damage winter weather can cause.

1: Take Care of Roof Leaks and Tree Branches  The pain a leaky roof can cause speaks for itself, especially during the winter! Melting - or fresh - snow dripping in can cause severe water damage to your house. Tree branches can snap and damage your roof, or take out powerlines. Make handling roof leaks and tree branches a priority before any winter weather floats in!

2: Have Your Chimney Cleaned and Inspected  Been a while since you used your chimney? Take some time to get it inspected and cleaned, because you never know when you'll need it during the season. Ideally, you should have your chimney cleaned and inspected every year to remove excess soot, dust, and creosote buildup.

3: Check Your Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors  This one goes hand in hand with having your chimney cleaned. A fire in the fireplace can keep your house nice and cozy, but it can turn dangerous if left unattended. Mistakes happen, and your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors can protect you in case they do. Keep your detectors in working order by replacing batteries when needed and checking to, well, make sure they're working!

4: Protect Your Pipes  Any time temperatures fall below freezing, the risk for frozen pipes rises. Frozen pipes can be inconvenient in many ways, not to mention very expensive if they burst. Check to make sure your pipes are properly insulated before severe cold temperatures arrive. Also, when they do arrive, drip your faucets during the night to better prevent your pipes freezing.

5: Make Sure Your Home is Properly Insulated  A home that isn't insulated well can lead to higher energy costs during the winter. Windows and doors that aren't insulated allow drafts to enter your home. Drafts force you to keep your heat going longer, which keeps that energy meter ticking at a faster pace than you'd probably like. There are many ways you can work to eliminate drafts in your home, including installing storm windows and sealing window and door sills with weather stripping.

6: Invest in a Generator or Wood-Burning Stove  Harsh winter weather can cause power outages. This means that, if you rely on HVAC or electric heat completely, when the power goes, so does your heat. Keep your family safe and warm in the event of a power outage by purchasing and installing a backup generator or a wood-burning stove. You can't go wrong with either one!

7: Stock Up on Heating Fuel  If you don't rely on electric heat, you're using fuel of some sort to heat your home. Don't let cold temperatures catch you off guard: stock up on whatever kind of fuel you use to make sure your house stays warm.

8: Winterize Other Structures on Your Property  Do you raise livestock or grow plants year-round? Do you have a guesthouse or other structure on your property that hosts family members or other company on a regular basis? If so, take the time to winterize those structures as well. Barns, sheds, greenhouses, guesthouses - make sure they're all properly insulated to seal in the heat and keep out the cold!

9: Keep Emergency Preparedness Kits on Hand  Weather-related power outages or issues can last for some time if they occur. For this reason, it's crucial to keep emergency preparedness kits that include non-perishable foods, bottled water, tissues, flashlights, batteries, and more on hand to get through them safely. For good measure, keep one in your home and one in your car.