Why Is It Important to Prep your Home for Winter?
While living in Tennessee has its weather benefits, it does get below freezing on occasion so it is still important to keep these winterizing tips in mind.
Many people choose Tennessee for the climate, warm summers, mild winters, gorgeous fall leaves and a beautiful spring. Although some days it may not feel like it, sure enough, we have all four seasons! Sometimes we have all four seasons in one day, but that’s for another post.
Don’t let your home get stuck in the cold without water or heat! Check out these winterizing tips to keep your home in the best shape this winter, regardless of how cold it gets.
Winterizing the exterior of your home
Clean any debris from your roof and gutters this allows water to move freely and not get stuck and freeze.
Make sure all exterior lighting is functioning properly and replace bulbs if need be. The days are shorter and it gets dark much earlier, be sure your lights are working!
Drain and turn off faucets and irrigation systems, if your faucet is not freeze proof cover with a styrofoam cover. You can purchase these at any hardware store or even online.
Store your outside furniture and grill and bring in any outside plants. Outside furniture can blow around in cool winter winds and get damaged. Warm loving plants will also die in the cold. Be sure to bring them inside or plan on replacing them in the spring.
Winterizing the interior of your home
Did you know you can reverse your ceiling fan blades? Turn clockwise to force warm air downwards. This ensures the cool air stays above and keeps you warm.
Keep heat set at no lower than 55 degrees. Although we usually recommend anywhere between 68-72. This can cause your heating and AC unit to exhaust freezing or overheating and they are not easy or quick fixes. If you are wanting to turn up the heat, do so slowly.
Check operation of your home’s smoke detectors and carbon dioxide detectors. Cozy fires and space heaters are also hazards in the home. Be sure that your smoke detectors and carbon dioxide detectors are working properly to avoid any mistakes.
Drip your faucets, especially if you have a crawl space! Crawl spaces under the home are not heated and that is where your pipes are! Be sure to leave your water faucets dripping to keep water moving. If the pipes freeze you will be without water until they thaw out and even worse if they freeze they can burst!
Bottom Line
Don’t forget to do these few simple things to prep your house for winter and stay warm! Be sure to follow us on social media for more tips and all of our current listings. @joomahomes