The winter season is gaining full strength. This is the time of the year we are reminded how important it is to protect our home from the effects of extreme weather. If you are planning a home renovation project, consider “old man winter” in your plans.

Water Damage Control

The winter months can present real challenges when avoiding damage from water. For instance, Your basement is the part of your home that is under ground, the same place that water resides. Protect your home from water damage by addressing the potential harm that can come from the basement. The best basement flood protection begins with repairing cracked basement walls, and installing a sump pump system to prevent water from collecting in the basement. Basement walls can be prepared with sealant to waterproof against seepage.

Winter can also present the possibility of frozen pipes in walls, crawlspaces, basements and attics. Frozen pipes can cause thousands of dollars worth of damage to your home’s floors, walls, appliances and furniture.

Take steps to prevent frozen pipes. Homes in northern climates are generally built with the water pipes located on the inside of the building insulation, which protects the pipes from cold temperatures. However, extremely cold weather and cracks that allow a flow of cold air to come into contact with pipes can lead to frozen pipes.  Insulate all pipes and seal all cracks in outside walls to keep the pipes above freezing temperatures.

Control Utility Costs

The solution is to winterize your home. Winterizing your home includes taking a close look at the source of drafts. Cold air coming into or going out of your house, especially through doors and windows.

Any air leaks in your home can allow warm humid air to escape and draw in drier colder air. A problem that exists in one part of the home can significantly affect all parts of the home. The result is colder temperatures and higher utility costs.

Energy Star says about High Energy Bills, “… it is common to trace high energy bills to an in-efficient component (windows, heating and cooling equipment, ducts insulation) of your home or a failure of one of these components to perform as intended. It is not always easy to pin-point the problem, but fixing it can make your home more energy-efficient and comfortable.”

The result is to stop unnecessarily high utility bills. Reducing heating bills can be an issue of air leaks in your home’s structure caused by inefficient or incorrectly installed windows or doors.

Prepare for Power Outages

A winter power outage is always a possibility and presents special challenges, including no heat.  Start preparing now for the next power outage.  Ready.gov provides basic safety tips on what to do before, during and after a power outage.

As we stated in our post Build in Family Safety When Developing Basement Renovation Plans

Remember to consider disaster response and general well-being when developing remodeling plans for the basement. Prepare your for power outages and rising water. If you are prepared for the hazards of winter, you will be more likely to stay safe and healthy when temperatures start to fall.

As Winter hits with its full fury, talk to the residential construction experts at Veri Construction before you complete plans for your next home renovation project,