Prepare Your Home For Winter Cold

People that live in the Southern United States, might not have as many problems with their house as those living in the Northern United States, once temperatures drop below freezing. Once temperatures reach below freezing, you could find yourself in a difficult situation, if you haven't prepared for it.

One of the most important things that homeowners need to know about home maintenance, once temperatures drop below 32°F or 0°C, is that water freezes at these temperatures. If this water is on top of your roof, next to your house, under your building foundation or condensing on your windows, your house could be in danger.

If you can keep one thing in mind about preparing your house for the winter cold, it's going to be the fact that water freezes and once water freezes, it starts to expand and puts pressure on pipes, structural framing members, roofing materials and even building foundations. You might not be able to do everything or solve every winter problem, but for the ones that you can, let's do our best and forget about the rest.

If you're going to leave your home for a long period of time, make sure that the water to your house is shut off and that all of your plumbing pipes have been drained. Most of the time, you're only going to be able to drain your water supply pipes and if you can’t for some reason, make sure that the water supply pipe to the house are completely shut off, just in case these pipes freeze and burst.

Now what about the waste pipes? Your drain traps that are usually connected to your showers, bathtubs, sinks, wash machine, floor drains and toilets should be emptied if possible to prevent the water from freezing, and breaking them.

A long time ago, people would pour radiator and I freeze down their drains, but I don't recommend mess anymore, because these types of chemicals are extremely harmful to our environment. You could always go down to your local hardware store or home improvement center to ask for more advice about winterizing your home.

Another good source for preparing your home for the winter cold would be your neighbors and people you work with. Don't be afraid to ask stupid questions that could save you a lot of money on home repairs in the future.