Winter Prep for your Home and Vehicle
2016-11-30
By: Advocate Brokerage
Even with that dip in temperature a few weeks ago the weather has been on the mild side. We want your home and auto to be prepared when winter finally decides to stick around for a while. Below are a few important tips for making your home and car winter ready so that you and your loved ones can stay safe!
For your Home
- Have your furnace & chimney inspected and cleaned.
- Check your fuel oil and/or propane levels. If you don’t already have one in place, set up an automatic contract with your fuel delivery service and add a maintenance contract in place. In the event of an equipment failure, you don’t want to be left out in the cold!
- If you haven’t already, turn off exterior faucets to prevent the pipes from freezing.
- Water is public enemy #1. Teach everyone in the house how to shut off main water valves.
- Consider installing a monitoring system in your home. If you travel frequently during the winter months or if you have a secondary home, this is very important! There have been many developments in Smart Home Technology that can alert you in the event of a leak so that you can take steps to protect your home before any significant damage is done!
- Get your ice melt and salt ready and be sure your shovels and snow blowers are in good working condition.
- Check weather stripping around windows and doors for cracks or gaps so that you can stay warm all winter long.
- Double check smoke detectors and be sure you have fire extinguishers on hand.
- Educate yourself on Ice Dams. Ice dams are one of your biggest wintertime nightmares. See below for some of the basics:
- Keep your attic well insulated and ventilated
- Keep your gutters clear of ice, leaves and other debris.
- Do what you can – safely – to keep snow from accumulating on your roof.
For your Vehicle
- Check tire pressure and consider switching to winter tires.
- Check anti-freeze levels.
- Do a check on both the heating and defrosting systems to be sure they are fully functioning.
- Install winter wiper blades and check windshield washer fluid levels.
- Put winter supplies in your car including a snow brush, an ice scraper and an extra blanket in case you get stranded.
