Preparing Your Home for Winter in Nebraska

Cold nights and shorter days can only mean one thing: winter is coming. Is your home ready for the snow, cold, wind and ice of another Nebraska winter? Here are ten ways to get your home and yard ready for the weather ahead.

1. GUTTERS – Have your gutters cleaned and checked for leaks, gaps or debris that could clog them at the wrong time. Backed up gutters allow rain and melted snow to seep into your home and cause serious damage.
2. ROOF – Call someone to check your roof for shingles or tiles that are cracked, missing, curling or shedding granules. The time to make roof repairs is now, before the cold and ice arrive.
3. DOORS & WINDOWS – Check your doors and windows for gaps that allow warm air to escape and cold air to enter. Recaulk edges and repair any cracked window panes. Remove and store screens until Spring.
4. CHIMNEY – It is a good idea to have your chimney cleaned before lighting a fire in the fireplace or starting up the furnace. But you should also have the exterior of the chimney checked for loose bricks or mortar, or gaps in the flashing that might allow snow and ice into your home.
5. EXTERIOR – Check your home’s siding for loose panels or shakes. If you have wood siding check carefully for mold or rot that might indicate a growing problem. If you have not scraped and painted for at least 5 years you might have to make that investment now, or replace your wood siding with a more durable material like fiber cement.
6. FOUNDATION – Check for cracks or gaps that may have appeared over the summer. Seal them up to prevent water or small animals from entering. Clear leaves and debris away from the foundation walls.
7. OUTDOOR PLANT CARE – Wrap and cover shrubbery to prevent damage from low temperatures and snowload. Prune trees and cut back overhanging branches that may droop onto your roof when covered with snow.
8. DRIVEWAY & WALKS – Repair any cracks, reseat bricks and apply driveway sealant before the first frost.
9. HEATING SYSTEM – Have your furnace cleaned, replace filters, and clean heating ducts of dust and buildup. If your home has radiators, bleed off trapped air that may have expanded during the warmer weather.
10. SMOKE, CO2 & RADON DETECTORS – Now is the perfect time to replace the batteries on your smoke, radon and carbon monoxide detectors; or to install them in key areas in your home.

Call Certified Siding Professionals at 402-680-7946, or visit our web site at: www.certifiedsidingprofessionals.com