There are simple, affordable actions homeowners can take to help reduce costly damage and lengthy repairs to their home after a winter weather event. For example, colder temperatures can lead to frozen pipes, which could burst, causing a cascade of damage.
These recommendations can prevent pipes from freezing and causing damage to your home:
- Look for exposed pipes and vents around your home and insulate them before temperatures dip below freezing.
- Caulk and seal exterior windows and doors.
- Add weatherstripping as needed around doors and windows, making sure you cannot see any daylight from inside your home.
- Set your thermostat to at least 55°F.
- Install a monitoring system that provides notifications if the temperature inside dips below 55°.
- Provide backup power, such as a generator, to maintain heat in your home in case of a power outage.
After a winter storm, professional services like HVAC or plumbing repair may be unavailable. Be sure maintenance of your alternative heat source is up to date before the storm. - Keep cabinet doors with pipes inside open so warm air can circulate around harder-to-reach pipes. Also, keep bathroom and kitchen cabinet doors open during cold spells.
- Let faucets drip during extreme cold weather.
- Temporarily cover or close crawl space vents.
For more ways to prevent damage from winter weather, check out the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety’s free Winter Weather Ready guide at disastersafety.org.
Read more of our tips and ideas in the Homeowner Resources section.
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