Winter is Right Around the Corner, Get Ready
Needless to say, owning a Seattle home brings with it much responsibility. One of the biggest tasks is home maintenance, which needs to be done regularly to keep things running smoothly.
However, while many people do chores around the house during the spring and summer, they often fall short of what needs to be done during the autumn and winter months.
As a result, some homes find themselves facing unexpected problems that usually result in high repair bills as well as tremendous inconvenience.
But by following some simple winterization tips, virtually any home can be made much more comfortable and safer during cold weather.
Insulate Pipes and Faucets
One of the biggest problems when winter arrives is pipes freezing and bursting. To guard against this, all pipes in the home should be checked by a plumber for signs of rust, corrosion, cracks, or other damage that could result in leaks.
In addition, any pipes that are located along the outside of walls in basements, garages, attics, crawlspaces, and other areas of a home should be properly insulated.
This can be done by using pipe foam insulation, heating tape, or heated cables that are laid directly on the pipes. Along with this, any outside faucets should also be checked for damage and then properly insulated using outside faucet foam insulation.
Insulate the Pump House
For Seattle homes that have a well as their water source, making sure the pump house is well insulated is very important. Insulating the house can keep pipes from freezing, and installing a heat source to keep the temperature inside the pump house above freezing is also necessary.
Also, it’s a good idea to make sure the pipes located in the pump house are properly insulated to keep them from freezing and bursting.
Check Foundation and Guttering
Winter weather can play havoc with a home’s foundation, especially if the guttering is in need of cleaning or repair. If the guttering has become loose and pulled away from the house or is full of debris, the water will overflow and wind up accumulating at the base of the foundation.
This can lead to water leaking into the basement through cracks or holes in the foundation, which over time can result in very costly repair bills for both foundation repair and water damage to the home.
A plumber can inspect the foundation and guttering, and make or suggest repairs as necessary.
