HomeTeam Inspection Service was recently featured in the Bethany Tribune in an article titled, "Homeowners: Prepare for cold weather with these tips." HomeTeam Inspection Service franchisee Frank Bombardiere gave his input about what homeowners can do to protect their homes inside and outside
during the winter. Frank supplied helpful tips to keep your house and family
safe, and pointed out that especially for those who are not very savvy with
home maintenance, hiring a home inspector every other year can curb maintenance
problems and save homeowners money in the long run. Read the article below.Homeowners: Prepare for cold weather with these tips
By: Emily Driscoll
With snow, ice and winter storms affecting most of the
country this time of year, homeowners need to know how to protect their residence
inside and out.
Research
from AIR Worldwide shows that the insured damage from winter storms in 2010 was
$2.6 billion, the highest since 2003, and 2011 was even more devastating—one
storm in February had as much as $1.4 billion in damage.
Frank
Bombardiere, local owner of HomeTeam Inspection Service in Yukon, says that
winter is the worst season for residential damage because ice, snow, and wind
can put water in places that are not typically prone to leaking.
“Snow drifts on the side of the
house can melt slowly onto the window and door sills, causing water to get
around these areas where it normally wouldn’t during a rain storm,” he says.
“Ice dams on the roof can cause a roof to leak, and snow can blow into the
attic through the roof vents and damage the insulation.”
To avoid major damage to your home
and your wallet, here are 10 tips that homeowners need to factor in to their
winterizing strategy:
1. Storm
doors can help keep windblown snow and rain from getting around the exterior
doors.
2. All
gaps around doors and windows need to be properly caulked, but be sure not to
caulk the weep holes in brick veneer--they are there to let the wall breath
(make a gap between the bricks about every third brick on the bottom row).
3. Fireplaces
and chimneys need to be cleaned and inspected at least every other year under
normal usage, preferably by a qualified chimney sweep.
4. Gutters
should be cleaned after the last leaves have fallen to keep the water flowing
away from the foundation of the house. You can also install gutter helmets to
keep leaves and debris out.
5. Cut
any overhanging tree branches away from the roof so they will not fall onto the
roof or your car if they break off in an ice storm.
6. Clean
any debris off the roof that can act as a dam and cause water to back up under
the shingles.
7. Keep
leaves picked up around the yard to help prevent pests from nesting in them.
8. Homes
with crawl spaces underneath should have the water pipes insulated to prevent
freeze damage.
9. Make
sure to vent crawl spaces, even in the winter.
10. Keep
exterior hose faucets covered and detach the hose--pipes can freeze and burst
on the exterior hose faucets.
Bombardiere recommends that
especially for those who are not very savvy with home maintenance, hiring a home inspector every other year can curb maintenance problems and save homeowners
money in the long run.
“You take your car in for
maintenance and diagnostics, you go to the doctor for a checkup--why shouldn’t
you have your home checked out by a professional as well?”
