Is your home ready for the winter? Take steps now to prevent costly damage and discomfort in the future.

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With cold weather comes high utility bills and the potential for costly damage to your home due to weather-related events. Each year we find a good number of emergency calls we receive could have been prevented with some basic home maintenance. A house that is not properly winterized will consume more energy and cost more money. Here are my Top 10 Tips For Winterizing your Home.

1. Make sure your attic has the proper amount of insulation. 
Having the right amount of insulation in your attic will reduce your monthly costs by lowering the amount of energy you need to keep your home at a comfortable level. 

2. Seal all leaks and cracks.

Look for air leaks around windows, doors, electrical outlets, pipes, and receptacles on exterior walls. These leaks are costing you money and adding to your discomfort during the cold months.

3. Ensure all gutters are clear to protect against ice damming. 
Ice dams are a buildup of ice that forms over leaves and gutters, and they are caused by snow melting on the roof. Once an ice dam has formed, it will continue to trap melted snow above that will then back up into the shingles and leak into your home. This causes wood rot, wet insulation and drywall deterioration, structural damage, and dangerous mold and mildew. Ice dams on a home are a sure indicator of air leaks, a warm rooftop and low insulation.   

4. Properly insulate your crawl space with a Radiant Barrier.
A Radiant Barrier in your crawl space keeps heat in during the winter when you need it most, and also acts as a vapor barrier, protecting your space against excess condensation and moisture.

5. Use energy-saving spray foam insulation in the floor joists of your basement and crawlspace. 
We recommend closed cell spray foam as a replacement to dangerous fiberglass insulation. Spray foam acts as a barrier to outside air and will help your HVAC system run more efficiently.

6. Check your sump pump.
 Check throughout the winter to make sure it is working properly, and install a battery backup in case the power goes out due to bad weather. 

7. Keep street outlets clear of snow and ice. 
The No. 1 reason a basement floods in the winter is due to frozen or clogged sump pump discharge lines. When plows push the snow against the outlet lines on the road, the water in this line that is coming from your gutters and sump pump has nowhere to go but back into your basement. This eventually floods the sump pump basin and ultimately you basement. A wooden stake at your curb to mark where your sump pump discharge line is located will help you find it when your curb is full of ice and snow.

8. Prevent frozen discharge lines.
The discharge line is the pipe that comes from the sump pump and channels the water away from the home. If this line freezes, the sump pump will run, but never lower the water level in the sump pit. If the pump is running continuously, it will burn out. A Freeze Relief from The Basement Doctor is an innovative product that offers a permanent solution once it is installed where the sump pump discharge line exits the home. It is maintenance-free, requiring no action from the homeowner.

9. Check tree branches and trim any that are close to your home or power lines.
These branches can cause costly damage during a bad winter storm. 

10. Maintain a consistent temperature inside the home.
A programmable thermostat can go a long way to saving energy and money, especially when we tend to crank the heater up.

Is your home ready for Spring? Take action before the heavy rain hits.

Spring is known for some unpredictable weather. Blue sunny skies one day, and heavy rains the next. Flooding in your basement is mostly likely to happen during these periods of heavy rainfall or when the winter snow is quickly melting during a spring thaw. Standing water in your basement not only leads to costly damage to your property and possessions, but it can also lead to mold and mildew, which can greatly affect your health and the air you breathe in your home.

Below you will find some easy tips to prepare your home for this time of year. These tips can help you to take action to prevent flooding, and will save you money and unnecessary stress.

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1. Free your home of any leftover ice or snow.

Snow can melt and then refreeze in foundation cracks for long periods of time. This can cause the integrity of your home to weaken, and make a leak more likely. Clearing the snow or making sure that any water as a result of the snow melt is moved away from your home is key.

2. Stop rain from entering your home through basement windows.

If you have below-grade basement windows, consider using window well covers. They are an effective solution to preventing rain water from coming into the house through those windows.

3. Exterior maintenance.

Clearing your gutters of all debris, extending your downspout lines away from the foundation and regarding the soil away from your home are easy ways to ensure proper water flow so that your home stays dry. If you have below-grade basement windows, window well covers are also an effective solution to prevent rain water from entering the inside of the home.

4. Maintain your Sump Pump System.

If you have a sump pump in your basement, make sure that it is plugged in and working properly. When installed correctly and in working order, your sump pump can collect water and push it outside of the house. It is important to clean and inspect your system each spring before the heavy rains begin.

5. Understand your insurance policy.

Carefully check your insurance policy to see if common plumbing leaks or water damage is covered. Standard policies don’t usually cover flooding, and may require additional coverage.

6. Know who to call in the event of a flood or emergency.

A reputable contractor will be able to help if your basement does flood. Check their references and make sure their program includes emergency response so that your house is a priority during a flood or other time of need.