How To Prepare Your Home For The Winter To Prevent Water Damage

As summer ends and it starts to get colder outside, you may want to take a look around your house and see what needs to be done to prepare for winter. Water damage is common during winter months because of the snow and freezing weather.

Water Damage Restoration—Billings, Montana

Here are some steps you can take in your Billings home to prevent water damage from happening to you this winter.

1. Insulation

Insulation is a great investment because it not only saves you money when you are trying to keep your home warm inside, but it can also prevent water damage. Insulating your attic can help prevent ice dams from forming on your roof. This will help protect your roof from wearing out and stop water from leaking inside. Insulating your exposed pipes can help prevent them from freezing and bursting so they don’t cause water damage or flooding in your home. 

2. Clean Your Gutters

Rain gutters are beneficial in allowing rain or melting snow to drain from your roof away from your house. But when rain gutters are clogged with leaves and debris, it makes it difficult for any water to drain correctly. This will lead to water building up on your roof, forming ice dams as it refreezes before it can drain. The build up can cause damage to your roof which can lead to broken shingles and holes that will allow water to get inside. Ensuring any leaves or debris plugging up your rain gutters is cleaned out will help prevent ice dams from forming once the snow comes.

3. Inspect Your Roof

Ensuring your roof is in its best condition before snow starts to fall is very important in keeping you and your home safe in the coming months. Repairing a roof before it gets cold and slippery is much easier and safer. Check for any shingles that might be damaged or broken and get them replaced as soon as possible.

4. Drain Your Spigot

Your garden hose is not likely to be used for the next few months, so it is a good idea to winterize the spigot outside your house of all water before it can freeze. Turn off the water supply valve so no more water will flow. Next, turn on the spigot and let all the water in it flow until it stops. Properly draining the hose will help prevent the water from freezing and breaking inside the pipes.

5. Install Storm Windows

If you have a basement with window wells, installing storm windows is crucial to prevent water from getting into your home and causing water damage. You can remove the screens on your window and swap them out with storm windows to add an extra layer of protection, especially as snow falls and builds up inside your window wells. This is an excellent idea, even if you already installed reinforced windows in your home.

If you experience any water damage in your Billings home this winter, call Faithful Disaster Restoration to help you repair any damage and protect your home.

. Insulating your exposed pipes can help prevent them from freezing and bursting so they don’t cause water damage or flooding in your home. 

2. Clean Your Gutters

Rain gutters are very helpful in allowing any rain or melting snow to drain from your roof away from your house. But when they are clogged, it makes it difficult for any water to drain properly. This will lead to water building up on your roof, forming ice dams as it refreezes before it can drain. This causes damage to your roof that can lead to breaking shingles and holes that will allow water to get inside. Making sure any leaves or debris that may be plugging up your rain gutters is cleaned out will help prevent ice dams from forming once the snow comes.

3. Inspect Your Roof

Making sure that your roof is in its best condition before snow starts to fall is very important in keeping you safe in the coming months. It is much easier to repair a roof before it gets cold and slippery. Check for any shingles that might be damaged or broken and get them replaced as soon as possible.

4. Drain Your Spigot

You probably won’t be using your garden hose for the next few months, so it is a good idea to drain the spigot on the outside of your house of all water before it can freeze. Turn off the water supply valve so no more water will flow into it. Then turn on the spigot and let all the water already in it flow out until it stops. This will help prevent the water from freezing inside the pipes and breaking them.

5. Install Storm Windows

If you have a basement with window wells, installing storm windows is a very important step to prevent water from getting into your home and causing water damage. You can take out the screens on your window and swap them out with storm windows to add an extra layer of protection, especially as snow falls and builds up inside your window wells. This is a good idea to do, even if you have reinforced windows already installed in your home.

If you experience any water damage in your Billings home this winter, be sure to call Faithful Disaster Restoration to help you repair any damage and protect your home.