While they may be few and far between, winter storms can be very dangerous to your home. Snow, ice and strong winds combined with extremely low temperatures can severely affect your South Jersey property. It is important that you are educated on how to prevent winter storm damage to your home, taking the right precautions for any potential issues that could arise during the storm.
Winter Storm Damage Prevention Tips
There are plenty of tasks you can perform to prevent winter storm damage. Just a few mindful maintenance tips will make all the difference during a winter storm.
Maintain HVAC & Heating Equipment:
Throughout the year, you should be maintaining your HVAC system, as well as your furnace or fireplace, inspecting it regularly and keeping it clean. Ensuring that all forms of heating equipment are working properly will make a huge difference in keeping you and your family warm, as well as avoiding winter storm damage.
Insulation Tips:
You can prevent winter storm damage in your home by ensuring that your walls and attic are properly insulated so that the cold is kept out. Additionally, you can check all windows and doors for drafts or cracks, and ensure that caulk and weatherstripping is still in good condition. Not only that, you can also add insulation around the pipes in your home to prevent them from freezing. Frozen pipes can potentially rupture, which could cause major water damage in the future. Make sure you get into the habit of doing regular winter maintenance checks to prevent winter storm damage before it happens.
Winter Storm Gutter & Foundation Maintenance:
While you should be maintaining both your home’s gutters and foundation year round, it is especially important to ensure that your gutters and foundation are in good working order during a storm. If you are able to safely clear your gutters of ice and debris, you should be doing so. This can make a huge difference when the storm is over and ice begins to melt. If there is a buildup of ice in your gutters, it could cause damage not only to your roof, but to the foundation of your home as well.
Disaster Preparedness:
In the event that disaster strikes, it is important that you and your family are prepared. You can put together an emergency disaster kit that includes some basics, such as first aid supplies, spare batteries, food and water, some extra cash, a flashlight, and whatever else you may think could be helpful. You should also always have an alternative heating method in mind in the event that the power goes out in your home.
During the winter, it is always a good idea to keep shovels, dry wood, rock salt and sand on hand to ensure that you don’t get stuck. Ensure that all of these supplies are easily accessible and ready to transport in the rare event that you need to evacuate. Worst case scenario, if you do have to evacuate for one reason or another, it is important that you have a plan. You need to know what to take with you, what route you will take, and a back up plan in case that fails. Do your best to keep yourself informed on the latest weather updates, precautions you should be taking, and any potential emergency instructions. Remain indoors whenever you possibly can, and if you have to travel for any reason, proceed with caution.
Prevent Winter Storm Damage
It is always important to prevent winter storm damage to your South Jersey home. However, there are situations that are out of our control where disaster strikes. In the event that your home has experienced water damage as the result of a winter storm, don’t hesitate. Contact a local water damage and mold remediation company in your South Jersey area to assess the damage.
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