Top 5 Things to Prepare Your Kansas City-area Home For Winter

1 – Clean the gutters (great to do when putting up lights)

This is an important step before winter as it will improve the drainage for winter weather.  Water and snow will be less likely to accumulate and freeze in the gutters if they are not filled with debris.  Freezing water in gutters can lead to an ice dam developing on the roof.  Ice dams and gutter restrictions can lead to moisture entering the home from the attic or into walls near gutters.  Cleaning the gutters will also lighten the load, overflowing restricted gutters can cause damage to the gutter system simply because of the weight from materials that are stuck there.  

2 – Unhook hoses from exterior faucets

Having hoses connected to exterior faucets cause water to be trapped up to and in exterior faucets.  When water freezes it expands!  So if there is water trapped in a faucet it can cause the metal to break or other internal components like seals and gaskets.  If you don’t want to find a water geyser shooting out of the side of your house in the spring you should leave the hoses disconnected.

3 – Trim Vegetation from Roof and Siding

Vegetation traps moisture against the home and gives insects and easy access.  In winter branches from trees will get wet and have extra moisture accumulation including ice and snow.  The extra weight will make items hang lower that usually have clearance and they may come in contact with the roof or siding.  Tree branches rubbing on roofing materials and gutters can cause a lot of damage.

4 – Blow out sprinklers

Blowing out gutters is important to make sure they do not get damaged in the winter.  When water freezes it will expand inside the sprinkler pipe and will likely cause damaged.  Sprinkler systems are not usually buried below the frost depth and more likely to freeze than other plumbing which is buried lower.

5 – Seal/Paint exterior penetrations and bare wood

The winter climate is harder on the exterior home of your home. Ensure that any open penetrations are sealed to reduce moisture intrusion.  Often times the seal around windows requires caulking.  This will help with thermal efficiency as well as moisture intrusion.

Contact ACM Home Inspection

For more tips and tricks on how to keep your home maintained,  call (913) 353-6869 today. ACM Home Inspection is located in Shawnee and Kansas City. We offer Home Maintenance and Home Inspection Services.