Like most places across America, Branson has its fair share of extreme winter weather. And while the glittering white wonderland of snow is exquisitely gorgeous when you’re holed up inside the warmth and comfort of your home, your home can suffer from some serious damage if proper weatherproofing precautions aren’t taken for the winter season. Below, we’ve compiled a list of five key areas to check and repair before the winter snows come. Attend to these elements of your home for the winter; you will thank yourself later for saving yourself the hassle of costly emergency repairs! Read on to learn how to winter proof Branson Homes!
Once you have closed all of your windows and made sure that they are shut tightly, inspect every room, fireplace, and vent in the house for drafty areas, gaps, and cracks. As you find them, plug them up with foam, caulking, and insulation. Storm windows or removable polyurethane film are handy in saving energy and reducing furniture-damaging UV rays.
The attic, basement, walls, and bare pipes of your home—especially pipes, which can burst and cause a whole mess of issues—will be the critical areas where insulation is needed most. Insulation will help reduce drafts, sound, and heating costs. You may want to have a professional look at your insulation to determine how much you need, if any. Waterproof tape or similar materials can be particularly useful for insulating external drain pipes.
Clear your gutters and drains of leaves and other debris, taking care that the gullies are kept clear, as overflowing gutters can soak your walls and cause extensive water damage. Make sure water can run off of your home. Also, check your windows to ensure that water runs away from the glass and does not drain on or behind the sill. Your pavement can also collect water if it doesn’t have the proper drainage, creating a hazardous ice slick that can lead to accidents.
When the first snowfalls of the season occur, take a moment to see how the snow settles on your roof. If you can see rapidly-forming icicles even when the air is not warm enough for snow to melt, warm air may be getting into your attic because the insulation is too thin or it has air leaks. If you see vertical strips of bare roofing between thin lines of snow, it’s likely that your attic doesn’t have enough insulation.
Snowfall can be handy in revealing problematic roofing issues, but you don’t want to wait until it’s too late before making the necessary repairs. Make sure to sweep your chimney (or hire a chimney sweep) and close the flue, in addition to replacing cracked tiles, and taking extra precautions to avoid snow build-up if you have a flat roof, as the weight of the snow can cause it to cave in.
As mentioned earlier, keeping your outside walking and driving surfaces, such as your pavement and driveway, free of ice is a matter of safety. You can also protect your patio by covering items such as grills, furniture, and plants, or bringing them inside.
Contact our dedicated real estate team for more home tips and general information on Branson, Missouri’s best real estate advice today!
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