Depending on where you live, winter can range from extreme cold temperatures or a beautiful cold sunny day. But beyond the inconvenience, severe weather conditions can cause real damage. Protecting your home is vital as a frozen water pipe can burst and flood your house. And then there’s your car, making sure it’s prepared for winter is just as important. You do not want to be stranded out in the cold after work with a dead battery.
Winterize Your Home
- Prepare your home to keep out the cold with insulation, caulking and weather stripping.
- Check the structural ability of your roof to ensure it can sustain accumulation of snow or ice.
- Clean rain gutters, repair roof leaks and cut away tree branches that could fall on your home.
- Insulate your outdoor pipes with insulation or newspapers. Allow faucets to drip during cold weather as this will prevent pipes from freezing.
- Learn how to shut off water pipes in case they burst because of freezing temperatures.
- Maintain furnaces and chimneys by having them cleaned and inspected every year.
- Keep fire extinguishers on hand and make sure everyone in the house knows how to use them.
Winter Driving Preparedness
- Always be aware of changing weather conditions from your starting location to where you are headed.
- Make sure your vehicle is also prepared for winter by taking it to your trusted mechanic for maintenance check.
- Maintain at least half a tank of gas during winter season for emergency preparedness and keeps fuel line from freezing.
- Keep an emergency winter driving kit in your car that includes flashlight, blanket, battery operated radio, jumper cables and emergency flares. It would also be a good idea to have bottled water, nonperishable food and a first-aid kit. Also check that you already have a cell phone car charger and spare tire with repair kit.