
How to Prepare Your Minnesota Home for Winter
If you live in a place with harsh and unpredictable seasons, like Minnesota, you must always prepare your home for the worst possible weather scenarios. Sound overwhelming? Don’t worry. Elite Remodeling Services is always at the ready and just a call away if you want some help. We can handle all of your winter-proofing needs, so give us a call at (952) 646-2480, and we’ll come to your rescue!
If you want to avoid devastating and expensive damages, it’s far better to prevent them than it is to fix your home after an emergency. And with winter fast approaching, it’s high time to get started!
We’ve put together a list of tasks you should perform every year, preferably before the snow starts falling:
Run the Hot Water
Running hot water is probably one of the easiest preventive measures you can take – but also one of the easiest to forget because you don’t often see your pipes.
To avoid having busted pipes due to frozen water inside them, run hot water throughout your home’s pipes regularly in winter. If you’re traveling and won’t be able to run water, be sure to turn the water off before you leave to avoid stagnant water sitting and freezing in your pipes.
Check Your Gutters
When winter starts, you must clean your gutters of leaves and other debris to avoid blockages. Also, be sure to check them for cracks or damage that could otherwise prevent them from withstanding the rain, snow, and ice that will begin to accumulate inside them.
Have Your Roof Inspected
Even if you think your roof is in good shape, always perform a preventive check because small, undetected issues from summer can become real nightmares in the winter. Have one of our roofing professionals assess your roof to identify any tiny cracks and gaps that could worsen when the snow starts flying.
Test Your Heating System
You probably haven’t used your heating system in months and don’t want to discover something is wrong with it come the very day you need it. Get it checked and serviced in advance of winter’s onset to make sure you’ll enjoy smooth – and warm! – sailing in the coldest months.
Check Your Insulation
Even if your heater is top-notch and in perfect shape, it won’t be of much use if you can’t keep the heat it generates inside your house. If you have an older house, you might be wise to consider upgrading your insulation to improve your home’s energy efficiency.
Get a Contractor to Seal Cracks and Gaps
Unless you’re a roofer or contractor, you aren’t going to know what to look for when it comes to cracks and gaps that can increase your energy use. We recommend calling a professional to check for any small cracks or gaps that you might miss.
Air leaks in your attic or small gaps around your windows could escalate fast into serious issues when ice and snow arrive on the scene. Be sure to get all repairs completed before it snows to avoid expensive fixes when it’s too late.
Update Your Windows
Replacing the windows in your home can be a significant expense, but it’s not so bad once you consider what the ones you have might be costing you every month. Old windows can cause a host of problems by letting in water and wind, but more important, they’re probably jacking up your electric bills by making your heater work double shifts.
Remember, Elite Remodeling Services is always here for you when it comes to getting your home ready for winter – or any other season, for that matter! We’re a licensed company and have been improving Minnesota homes for more than 18 years. Call us today, at (952) 646-2480, and we’ll make sure your home is winter-ready!