The cold season requires adjusting many aspects of life: we wear parkas and toques, put snow tires on our car, and take a few steps to help our homes survive another Canadian winter.
The cold air, snow, hail and ice can take a toll on aspects of your home unless you properly prepare it. Keep your home braced for the season by following these tips.
Ready the Pipes
Winter has always presented a risk to pipes as the temperature drops, but that’s truer today than ever, given the increase in extreme weather events caused by climate change. Flash freezes and cold snaps put your pipes at risk of bursting from the pressure.
There are emergency plumbing services available 24 hours offering drain cleaning services you can rely on for a range of plumbing emergencies, including a burst pipe. They’ll come to your home immediately, shut off the water, and fix the broken pipe.
Importantly, they can thaw any other pipes in your home that may also be frozen, to save them from bursting in the future. There are pre-emotive steps you can take to prevent this scenario from occurring:
- Insulate colder areas of your home and to pipes
- Jack up the thermostat
- Install heat trace cables along your pipes
Air Conditioner Prep
The last thing you’re probably thinking about when it’s cold outside is your air conditioner, but there are important steps you need to take to keep it in good working order for the spring. One basic step you can take for your external A/C unit is get an especially-designed cover to keep detritus from getting inside.
If your A/C unit remains in your window through the winter, the cold air can travel through the machine into your home. They’re built to survive seriously cold temperatures, but things like falling ice may put it at risk. Some people safeguard their A/C by putting a piece of plywood over top, to protect it from hail or falling icicles.
Brace the Roof
Winter presents some risks to the roof that could result in water damage to the walls and ceilings. Warm air rising through your home may melt the snow at the peak of your roof, but the melting water may get stuck at the ledge of your roof if ice forms there.
Known as ice dams, these keep moisture in a vulnerable place on your roof that can cause damage, such as mold or mildew, or other moisture problems. To combat this, you can get your roof surface coated with a waterproof membrane, as well as get more insulation for your ceiling.
Readying today’s houses for winter means making sure the technology designed to regulate its temperature has everything it needs to function. Get your plumbing, A/C unit, and roof in winter-ready shape today so your home can easily survive the cold and be ready for spring without needing any repairs or maintenance.
