Tips to Prepare Your Vandalia, MI Home for Winter

10/6/2021 (Permalink)

Before winter hits, allow these tips from SERVPRO of Cass and St. Joseph Counties help you prepare!

When you live in Michigan, you know that winters can be interesting. Besides the constant cold temperatures, we also often get lake-effect snow, which is dense, heavy, moisture-ridden snow and often causes limbs of trees to break! With that being said, we have some tips to help prepare your home for winter weather.

• Keep cabinet doors open during cold spells, as this allows warm air from inside to circulate around your pipes.
• Keep a slow trickle of water flowing through faucets, especially if the faucets or pipes run through uninsulated areas of the home. This can help prevent them from freezing and bursting.
• Consider shutting off outdoor faucets. Find the shut-off valve in the basement or crawl space and turn it to “OFF”.
• If you follow the previous step, then open the outdoor faucet to help ensure it drains completely and the inner valve is shut off.
• Ensure that your gutters are clean and secure. Leaves and debris accumulate, creating pressure and the opportunity for water to get stuck and freeze in places it shouldn’t be.
• Be sure to properly maintain your furnace to help reduce the risk of it breaking down in the middle of winter, as well as reducing the risk of puffbacks.