Preparing Your Home for Extreme Weather

Extreme weather can come in many forms based on season and location, so Mr. Central in Augusta, Georgia is here to provide you helpful tips to preparing your home for extreme weather and the winter.

As we edge closer to the winter months, mother nature provides extreme weather and temperatures to the Augusta area that can severely damage your property. Augusta and the entire CSRA are often the recipients of hurricanes, floods, tornadoes and extreme temperatures depending on the season.

However, with Fall in full effect and the bitter winter months ahead, it’s time to prepare your home for cold weather. The steps provided by Mr. Central below will help lower your utility bills and protect your investment overall.

Tune up your heating system

One of the most important things Mr. Central can recommend you do as we near the winter months is to contact an HVAC professional, like the heating professionals at Mr. Central in Augusta for an HVAC tune up service.

An HVAC professional from Mr. Central will inspect your furnace and heat pump to be sure the unit is clean and in working order. A heating professional from Mr. Central will also inspect and ensure that there is no carbon monoxide leak or threat. Contact the HVAC and heating professionals at Mr. Central in Augusta and let us tune up your heating system as we near the winter months.

Reverse your ceiling fans

If your ceiling fan has a reverse switch, then you can use it to run the fan’s blades in a clockwise direction after you turn on your heating system once we are fully into the winter months. If you take these steps, the fan will produce an updraft and push down into the room heated air from the ceiling… remember hot air rises!

This is especially helpful in rooms with high ceilings and it may even allow you to turn down your thermostat by a few degrees for efficiency on your energy bills once you’re consistently using your heating system every day.

Inspect your roof

You don’t need a roofing professional to climb up and do a quick personal survey and inspection of your roof to determine if anything doesn’t look right. Scan your roofing system and look for any missing shingles that may leak from heavy rainfall or melting ice.

If you find any damage, Mr. Central in Augusta would recommend hiring a roofing professional or qualified contractor to repair any damage or missing shingles. Do your research and make sure you hire a qualified and licensed roofing contractor near you.

Caulk around windows and doors

Another way that you can prepare for extreme weather and colder temperatures is to caulk the gaps between siding, windows and door frames that are more than the width of a nickel. For the best exterior results, Mr. Central recommends silicone caulk as it is impervious to elements.

Caulking the gaps in your siding, windows and door frames will ensure that no moisture from heavy rainstorms or melting ice will leak its way into your home. Caulking the gaps will also improve the insulation and help towards the energy efficiency of your home, ultimately saving you money in the long run.

Clean your gutters

If you are not regularly cleaning your gutters or your gutters are full of debris then water can back up and cause damage to your home’s roofing, siding and wood trim. All this combined with possible leaks into your home is a recipe for unaccounted costs and expenses for something you could have prevented.

Before the worst happens, take time to clean your gutters or seek a professional who cleans gutters near you.

Divert the water

If you know that you have drainage problems at your home or that your gutters aren’t in the optimal position to get the water away from your houses foundation then you can add gutter extensions to downspouts so that the water runs at least three to four feet away from the foundation of your home.

You can either find gutter extensions at your local store or you can contact a roofing or gutter professional near you to determine the best course of action for preparing your home for extreme weather.

Turn off exterior faucets

Undrained water in pipes can freeze which will cause pipes to burst as ice expands. Mr. Central recommends that you disconnect all garden hoses and drain any additional water that remains in the exterior faucets.

If you don’t have frost-proof faucets on your home, then you should turn off the shut off valve.

Have your chimney cleaned or serviced

Before you decide to light a cozy fire this winter, make sure your fireplace, or any heating appliance burning gas, oil, wood or coal, chimney and vents are clean and in good, safe, working tradition. Having your chimney serviced will prevent chimney fires and prevent carbon monoxide from finding its way into your home.